Inhalation of lung spheroid cell secretome and exosomes promotes lung repair in pulmonary fibrosis

Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 28;11(1):1064. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14344-7.

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal and incurable form of interstitial lung disease in which persistent injury results in scar tissue formation. As fibrosis thickens, the lung tissue loses the ability to facilitate gas exchange and provide cells with needed oxygen. Currently, IPF has few treatment options and no effective therapies, aside from lung transplant. Here we present a series of studies utilizing lung spheroid cell-secretome (LSC-Sec) and exosomes (LSC-Exo) by inhalation to treat different models of lung injury and fibrosis. Analysis reveals that LSC-Sec and LSC-Exo treatments could attenuate and resolve bleomycin- and silica-induced fibrosis by reestablishing normal alveolar structure and decreasing both collagen accumulation and myofibroblast proliferation. Additionally, LSC-Sec and LSC-Exo exhibit superior therapeutic benefits than their counterparts derived from mesenchymal stem cells in some measures. We showed that an inhalation treatment of secretome and exosome exhibited therapeutic potential for lung regeneration in two experimental models of pulmonary fibrosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Inhalation
  • Alveolar Epithelial Cells / drug effects
  • Alveolar Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Alveolar Epithelial Cells / pathology
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Bleomycin / toxicity
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Exosomes / metabolism
  • Exosomes / transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / chemically induced
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / metabolism
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / pathology
  • Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / therapy*
  • Lung / cytology*
  • Lung / metabolism
  • Lung Injury / chemically induced
  • Lung Injury / metabolism
  • Lung Injury / pathology
  • Lung Injury / therapy*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Myofibroblasts / cytology
  • Proteomics
  • Silicon Dioxide / toxicity
  • Spheroids, Cellular / metabolism*

Substances

  • Bleomycin
  • Silicon Dioxide