Guest edited by Hong-Long James Ji (University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler), Michael A. Matthay (University of California, San Francisco) and Yuanlin Song (Fudan University)
A thematic series in Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
Pulmonary diseases are the leading cause of death globally. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) alone is the top third-ranked killer, followed by lower respiratory infections. COVID-19 pandemic and other critically respiratory infections claim millions of lives annually. Most respiratory diseases, including COPD, lung cancer, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), are refractory illnesses. Stem cell therapy holds the most promising to regenerate functional “new” lungs. Very recently, considerable progress has been reported in the physiology, pathology, and biology of respiratory stem cells. These preclinical studies applied single-cell analyses, multi-omics, decellularized lungs, 3D printing, 3D organoids, machine learning algorithms, and organ-on-a-chip methodologies. Registered clinical trials are growing rapidly for studying the feasibility, safety, and benefits of stem cells and their extracellular vesicles for COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
This thematic series aims to focus on the mechanisms or outcomes of adult stem cell therapies in preclinical models and clinical trials to treat respiratory diseases for a safe and effective outcome.