The Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Radiation-Induced Lung Fibrosis.

ABSTRACT: Radiation therapy is one of the most important treatment modalities for thoracic tumors. Despite significant advances in radiation techniques, radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) still occurs in up to 30% of patients undergoing thoracic radiotherapy, and therefore remains the main dose-limiting obstacle. RILI is a potentially lethal clinical complication of radiotherapy that has 2 main stages: an acute stage defined as radiation pneumonitis, and a late stage defined as radiation-induced lung fibrosis. Patients who develop lung fibrosis have a reduced quality of life with progressive and irreversible organ malfunction. Currently, the most effective intervention for the treatment of lung fibrosis is lung transplantation, but the lack of available lungs and transplantation-related complicati

SUBMITTER: Zanoni M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6719901 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature