Regulation of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells by the lung progenitor niche in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stem cell transplantation is a promising method for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have clinical potential for lung repair/regeneration. However, the rates of engraftment and differentiation are generally low following MSC therapy for lung injury. In previous studies, we constructed a pulmonary surfactant-associated protein A (SPA) suicide gene system, rAAV-SPA-TK, which induced apoptosis in alveolar epithelial type II (AT II) cells and vacated the AT II cell niche. We hypothesized that this system would increase the rates of MSC engraftment and repair in COPD rats.

Methods

The MSC engraftment rate and morphometric changes in lung tissue in vivo were investigated by in situ hybridization, hematoxyli

SUBMITTER: Zhang WG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3987841 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature