According to research presented at the 2020 International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT), stem cell therapy is benefiting patients with high levels of inflammation. In particular, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have high inflammation have experienced increased lung function in exercise capacity following the treatment.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are harvested from adult tissue such as fat or bone marrow or can be from donated umbilical cord tissue. These cells have remarkable capabilities, including the ability to give rise to nearly any type of tissue, as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
These MSCs are naturally designed to help regulate overactive immune systems, which trigger inflammation. The research which was presented detailed results from a Phase 2 trial which spanned two years. Patients who received the MSCs versus the placebo showed better lung function and exercise capacity in patients with high C-reactive protein inflammatory markers. Exercise capacity was measured by the total distance walked by patients within six minutes. For lung function, researchers looked at how much patients could exhale after a deep breath (forced vital capacity) as well as forced expiratory volume, or how much air total air can be exhaled in one second.
Improvements were most noticeable in patients with the highest levels of C-reactive proteins. These results suggest that stem cell therapy is helpful for patients with the greatest amount of inflammation. It also suggests the inflammatory component of COPD could also be addressed with stem cell therapy.
Based on these compelling results, the study’s researchers plan to pursue a Phase 3 trial to study the efficacy of MSCs on patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Other research has also suggested beneficial opportunities using mesenchymal stem cells for patients with COPD. Although stem cell therapy is not a cure, it can be a potential alternative treatment option for those with COPD to research and consider.
This post was written by Becky Palmer, a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for the joints, also known as stem cell therapy for joints! Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.
