Lung Disease and Stem Cells

Lung disease refers to a range of medical conditions affecting the respiratory organs. The causes vary from smoking to diet, to premature birth and old age.

Of the many lung conditions affecting patients today, three illnesses are among the most common: ^[1]

• Lung cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in one or both of the lungs. Usually, this occurs in cells in the air passages, which then turn into tumors. Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death in the US. ^[2]
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a range of conditions, including bronchitis, emphysema, refractory asthma and more. COPD is the fifth leading cause of death in the US, resulting in 141,733 deaths in 2023. ^[3]
• Pneumonia is lung inflammation caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Patients’ air sacs fill with pus and sometimes turn solid. Pneumonia causes approximately 41,200 deaths a year in the US. ^[4]

Lung disease facts

• 3.8% people in the United States have COPD ^[3]
• Rates of COPD are highest in West Virginia (12.3%) and lowest in Hawaii (3%) ^[5]
• There were 218,893 new cases of lung cancer in the U.S. in 2022 ^[6]
• Adults over 65 are at a much higher risk of contracting and dying from lung disease ^{[2, 7, 8]}

Lung disease and stem cells

There are 197 clinical trials testing stem cell therapies for the treatment of lung disease. ^[9] Of these, there are 51 looking at lung cancer ^[10], 15 at COPD ^[11], and 22 at pneumonia. ^[12]

Recently, doctors at Monash Children’s Hospital, Victoria, saw success using placenta stem cells to treat a lung condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which affects premature babies after they have been supported by respiratory apparatus. Researchers hope that the anti-inflammatory properties of stem cells will reverse lung damage. ^[13]

In England, scientists at University College London are using mesenchymal stem cells to treat lung cancer. Stem cells have a natural ‘homing’ ability, which can be used to transport an anti-cancer gene called MSCTRAIL to the site of malignant tumors. Treatment involves chemotherapy, followed by a stem cell transplant. ^[14]

References

1. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000066.htm
2. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
3. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db529.htm
4. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pneumonia.htm
5. https://www.cdc.gov/copd/php/case-reporting/state-level-estimates-of-copd.html
6. https://www.cdc.gov/united-states-cancer-statistics/publications/lung-cancer-stat-bite.html
7. https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/risk-factors/older-adults.html
8. https://www.lung.org/research/trends-in-lung-disease/copd-trends-brief/copd-mortality
9. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results/details?cond=Lung+Diseases&term=stem+cell&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search
10. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results/details?cond=Lung+Cancer&term=stem+cell&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search
11. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results/details?cond=Chronic+Obstructive+Pulmonary+Disease&term=stem+cell&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search
12. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results/details?cond=Pneumonia&term=stem+cell&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search
13. https://monashchildrenshospital.org/placenta-research-help-doctors-treat-premature-babies-chronic-lung-conditions/
14. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1497528/
15. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180705084210.htm
16. Cytotherapy, 18(7), 860–869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcyt.2016.04.005
17. TACTICAL: A phase I/II trial to assess the safety and efficacy of MSCTRAIL in the treatment of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.TPS9116 Journal of Clinical Oncology 37, no. 15_supplno. 15_suppl