PERINATAL CELLS AS A TREATMENT FOR INFLAMMATORY LUNG DISEASES

Chronic inflammation is associated with many pulmonary conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Often, patients with inflammatory lung disease exhibit increased immune cell counts in their lungs such as neutrophils, macrophages and T cells accompanied by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and neutrophil elastase (NE). Increased immune cell numbers and increased levels of their associated cytokines in the pulmonary environment of these patients do not necessarily correlate with increased efficiency to clear bacteria and resolve the inflammatory response. Thus, patients exhibit a progressive cycle of chronic inflammation, lung fibrosis and reduction in lung function. As many studies have shown, immune cells in patients with inflammatory lung disease might be dysregulated and often lead to disease worsening and contribute to the progressive loss of lung function. Therapeutic regimens for these diseases mainly rely on the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as corticosteroids, ibuprofen and azithromycin to mitigate the inflammatory response and improve lung function. However, the use of these drug regimens has been associated with serious adverse events such as growth retardation, and often presents challenges to establish precise doses in patients. Thus, therapeutic regimens provide symptom management in an attempt to slow the progression of the disease however; it is the repeated cycles of inflammation, injury and fibrosis that cause the chronic, life-threatening manifestations that ultimately lead to respiratory failure. Thus, therapies that can target this inflammatory environment and disrupt the destructive cycle of infection, inflammation and fibrosis would have a major impact in preventing the progression of lung disease.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2019

Author dc:creator

• Khoury, Oula

• Cell therapy

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/93916

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/93916