COPD treatment with stem cells

A potentially effective treatment option for people with COPD is stem cell therapy. COPD is a progressive lung disease.

A glimmer of hope for COPD patients’ quality of life and lung function comes from stem cell treatments, which address the underlying problems of inflammation and tissue destruction.

Examine how this novel strategy might transform the way that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is treated.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as lung disease) and stem cell therapy

Differentiation is the special capacity of stem cells to become any type of cell in the body. They can locate damaged tissues around organs and be given intravenously. Stem cells can treat emphysema or chronic bronchitis by repairing damaged lung tissue in COPD patients. Because stem cells naturally include anti-inflammatory qualities, they can help people with chronic bronchitis breathe easier.

Although stem cell therapy hasn’t been proven to be able to cure COPD, patients find it to be a desirable alternative due to its relatively invasiveness and capacity to restore damaged tissue. Given the existing treatment methods that necessitate the use of ventilators or even complete lung transplants, which are uncommon and extremely expensive, this option becomes even more appealing.

Stem cells to treat COPD

Anti-inflammatory medications are used in conjunction with other medicines as part of the current COPD treatment regimen. The efficacy of existing treatments is, however, limited.

Allogeneic umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is a safe and efficient therapy option for patients with moderate to severe COPD (Chronic Obtrusive Pulmonary Disease), according to a new study by Phuong Le et al.

Study Approaches

In this study, twenty patients were recruited and given expanded allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) generated from umbilical cord tissue. Following the initial infusion, all patients were monitored for six months.

Comprehensive safety evaluation, pulmonary function testing (PFT), and quality-of-life measures such as questionnaires, the 6-min walk test (6MWT), and systemic inflammatory evaluations were among the treatment end-points. Every patient finished the entire infusion and the follow-up after six months.

Outcomes

According to the study’s findings, MSC therapy is safe. No toxicities, fatalities, or serious adverse events that were thought to be connected to the administration of UC-MSCs occurred during the infusion.

The COPD assessment test, Modified Medical Research Council score, and frequency of exacerbations were all considerably lower in the UC-MSC transplanted individuals. This study shown that allogeneic non-HLA-matched UC-MSC transplantation is a secure therapy that enhances COPD patients’ quality of life.

For the first time, allogeneic MSCs derived from umbilical cord tissue were used in a clinical research to treat COPD.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells’ Potential for Treating COPD

Since mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have special immunomodulatory and regenerative qualities, they have become a prospective treatment option for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

These cells may help patients with COPD by lowering inflammation, healing damaged lung tissue, and enhancing general lung function.

Can stem cell therapy be used to treat COPD?

No, stem cell therapy is not currently able to treat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Further research is required to ascertain its long-term efficacy, even if some trials have produced encouraging results. As of right now, maintaining treatment, medication, lifestyle modifications, and rehabilitation are the mainstays of treating COPD. These strategies also aim to prevent exacerbations, manage symptoms, and enhance quality of life.