【Current status of lung diseases and potential of cell treatment】
Although adult human lung had been thought not to be able to regenerate in general, a phenomenon that remaining lung tissues restore lost volume after pneumonectomy, termed “compensatory lung growth,” has been known through the animal experiments from the 1800s. This phenomenon has implied the potential that the lung has the capability of growing even in the mature individual. Moreover, since it has been reported that local injection of human lung stem cells contribute to regeneration of damaged mouse lung, clinical application of stem cells is expected for human lung regeneration.
【Institutes conducting with animal experiments and clinical trials】
◆ Chiba University ◆ Nagoya University
◆ Pusan National University ◆ TLC Nihonbashi Clinic
【Case : Nagoya University】
Intravascular injection of dental pulp stem cells and their secretions has been reported to show pleiotropic therapeutic effects for mouse acute lung injury.
【Case : Pusan National University】
Adipose-derived stem cells injected into a vein have been reported to improve the allergic condition by suppressing the eosinophilic inflammation and by reducing the immune response by antigen-specific type II T helper cells in allergic rhinitis model and asthma model mice.
【Case : TLC Nihonbashi Clinic】
Medical treatment using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells has been conducted for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It has been reported that oxygen saturation of patients was improved from 92-93% to 95-97% in 12 days after the treatment, and favorable recovery has been found in one and a half years follow-up observations.