Lung transplantation (LTx) has become the gold standard treatment for end-stage respiratory failure. Recently, extended lung donor criteria have been applied to decrease the mortality rate of patients on the waiting list. Moreover, ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has been used to improve the number/quality of previously unacceptable lungs. Despite the above-mentioned progress, the morbidity/mortality of LTx remains high compared to other solid organ transplants. Lungs are particularly susceptible to ischemia-reperfusion injury, which can lead to graft dysfunction. Therefore, the success of LTx is related to the quality/function of the graft, and EVLP represents an opportunity to protect/regenerate the lungs before transplantation. Increasing evidence supports the use of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) as a therapeutic strategy to improve EVLP. The therapeutic properties of MSC are partially mediated by secreted factors. Hence, the strategy of lung perfusion with MSCs and/or their products pave the way for a new innovative approach that further increases the potential for the use of EVLP.
| Use of Cells or Their Products | Study Model | Effects Due to MSC Treatment | Mechanisms | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BM-MSCs | Mouse lung IRI | Protection against cold IRI in lung transplants | Improved arterial blood oxygenation capacity, reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine and cell apoptosis | [29] | ||
| MSC-derived EVs | Rat lung IRI and EVLP | Improved tissue integrity and metabolism | Decrease in vascular resistance and rise in perfusate NO metabolites; Up-regulation of genes involved in the resolution of both inflammation and oxidative stress | [34] | ||
| UC-MSCs and UC-MSC-derived EVs | Mouse lung IRI | Attenuation of lung dysfunction and injury by improving the efficacy of EVLP | Decreased levels of edema, neutrophil infiltration and myeloperoxidase; decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and increase in KGF, PGE2 and IL-10; | [35] | ||
| UC-MSC-derived EVs | E. coli | -induced rat lung injury | Increased survival | Enhanced phagocytosis of | E. coli | [36] |
| BM-MSCs and BM-MSC-derived CM | Rat lung Injury | Attenuation of lung injury | Reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine | [37] | ||
| BM-MSCs and BM-MSC-derived CM | Ventilator-induced rat lung injury | Reduction in injury and improvement in recovery | Reduced levels of edema, neutrophil, and alveolar IL-6 concentrations | [38] | ||
| BM-MSC-derived CM | Rat lung IRI | Protection against lung IRI | Decrease in both pro-inflammatory cytokines and infiltrating inflammatory cells, and increase in both M2-like macrophages and regulatory T cells | [39] | ||
| AdMSC-derived CM | LPS-induced mouse lung injury | Reduction in ARDS indices | Reduced endothelial barrier hyperpermeability and activation of pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways in endothelium. | [40] | ||
| AMSC-derived CM | In vitro model of human lung IRI | Attenuation of IRI effects by improving the efficacy of in vitro EVLP | Increase in anti-inflammatory factors and up-regulation of anti-apoptotic factors | [41] | ||
| BM-MSCs and AdMSC-derived CM | Rat and human alveolar epithelial cell injury | Decreased cell injury | Decrease in pro-inflammatory factors and increase in anti-inflammatory factors; inhibition of p38 MAPK and translocation of Bcl-2 to the nucleus; Increased expression of cytoprotective glucose-regulated proteins | [43] | ||
| MSCs | Swine lung IRI | Attenuation of ischemic injury in donor lungs during EVLP and attenuation of IRI after transplantation | Increased levels of HGF and IL-4 and decreased levels of TNFα and cell death markers | [65] | ||
| BM-MSCs | HCL- and LPS-induced rat lung injury | Decreased inflammation | Decrease in proinflammatory cytokines, neutrophil infiltration, hemorrhage and interstitial edema |
[122] | [48] | |
| UC-MSCs and UC-MSC-derived EVs | Rat neonatal hyperoxic lung injuries | Attenuation of hyperoxic lung injuries | Increased alveolarization and angiogenesis; decrease in alveolar epithelial cell death, macrophages and cytokines in lung |
[123] | [49] | |
| BM-MSC-derived EVs | Mouse pulmonary arterial hypertension | Reduction in pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricle hypertrophy | Increased levels of anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative miRs including miRs-34a,-122,-124, and -127. | [124] | [50] | |
| BM-MSCs | Rat lung IRI | Attenuation of lung pathologic injury | Reduced myeloperoxidase production, decreased levels of of pro-inflammatory cytokine and cell apoptosis in lung tissue | [125] | [51] | |
| BM-MSCs | E. coli | -induced rat pneumonia | Reduction in lung injury; improvement in survival; reduction in lung bacterial load and suppression of inflammation | Enhanced macrophage phagocytic capacity and increase in lung and systemic concentrations of the antimicrobial peptide LL37 | [126] | [52] |
| BM-MSCs | Hyperoxia-induced rat lung injury | Mitigation of emphysema | Increased number of alveoli and decrease in α-SMA expression by myofibroblasts | [127] | [53] | |
| BM-MSCs and BM-MSC-derived CM | Cigarette-smoke-induced rat emphysema | Alleviation of emphysema and increase in the number of small pulmonary vessels | Decrease in pulmonary artery medial wall thickness and reduction in apoptosis in lungs with emphysema | [128] | [54] | |
| BM-MSCs and BM-MSC-derived CM | LPS-induced mouse lung injury | Resolution of lung injury by attenuating lung inflammation | Decrease in neutrophils and increase in M2 in BAL | [129] | [55] | |
| BM-MSCs and BM-MSC-derived CM | Mouse chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | Reduction in injury | Reduced levels of inflammation, fibrosis and apoptotic and increased production of HGF | [130] | [56] | |
| AdMSC-derived EVs | Elastase-induced mouse emphysema | Reduction in lung emphysema | Increased levels of FGF2 | [131] | [57] | |
| BM-MSCs | Bleomycin-induced rat pulmonary fibrosis | Decreased fibrosis | Attenuation of NRF2, NQO1, HO-1, γ-GCS, lipid peroxidation, and increase in SOD activity | [132] | [58] | |
| UC-MSCs | Rat lung IRI | Reduction in Oxidative stress damage and inflammation | Reduced levels of MPO activity and neutrophil markers; reduction in reactive oxygen species production | [133] | [59] | |
| AdMSCs and AdMSC-derived CM | Sulfur mustard-induced mouse lung injury | Reduction in progressive histopathologic changes in the lung | Reducd levels of both M1 and M2 cells, TNF-α and IL-1β | [134] | [60] | |
| BM-MSC-derived CM | Bleomycin-induced rat pulmonary fibrosis | Protection against lung fibrosis | Decrease in lung inflammation, fibrotic scores, collagen deposition, and cell apoptosis | [135] | [61] | |
| SHEDs and SHED-derived CM | Bleomycin-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis | Attenuation of lung injury and improvement in survival rate | Reduced levels of pro-inflammatory factors and increased levels of anti-inflammatory factors and M2 cells | [136] | [62] | |
| BM-MSCs | Swine lung transplantation | Improvement in dynamic lung compliance | Reduced intrapulmonary edema | [137] | [63] | |
| BM-MSC-derived EVs | E. Coli | -induced mouse lung Injury | Reduction in lung edema and inflammation | Decrease in lung protein permeability, neutrophils and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 levels in the BAL fluid; increase in KGF in BAL | [138] | [64] |
| AdMSCs | Rat lung IRI | Attenuation of lung damage after IRI | Suppression of oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction | [139] | [66] | |
| UC-MSCs | Swine lung IRI | Attenuation of IRI by improving the efficacy of EVLP | Increased levels of VEGF and decreased concentration of circulating IL-8 | [140] | [67] | |
| BM-MSCs | Human lung IRI and EVLP | Decreased cold ischemic injury | Decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines and increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines | [30] | ||
| BM-MSCs and BM-MSC-derived CM | E. coli | -induced human lung injury | Increase in alveolar fluid clearance in lungs during EVLP | KGF secretion | [31] | |
| BM-MSCs | Human lungs rejected for transplantation and subjected to prolonged ischemic time | Restoration of alveolar fluid clearance | KGF secretion | [32] | ||
| BM-MSC-derived EVs | Human lungs rejected for transplantation | Increase in alveolar fluid clearance in donor lungs during EVLP | Improved airway and hemodynamic parameters | [141] | [68] | |
| AdMSCs | Clinical trial | Attenuation of IRI and host immunological reaction towards the graft | Not determined | NCT04714801 | ||
| BM-MSCs | Clinical trial | Attenuation of graft rejection and bronchiolitis obliteran syndrome (BOS) | Not determined | NCT02181712 |
