Skip to main content

Table 2 Major lung diseases potentially treatable by stem cell manipulation.

From: Stem cells and repair of lung injuries

Disease Category

Injured, Depleted, or Deranged Cellular Compartment*

Therapeutic Goals

Congenital lung hypoplasia

Chronic lung disease of prematurity

Pulmonary emphysema

Alveolar epithelium, Interstitial fibroblast, Capillary endothelium,

Generate alveolar septa

Restore complex three dimensional structure

Neonatal RDS

Adult RDS

Alveolar epithelium, Capillary endothelium

Enhance surfactant production

Reinforce endothelial and epithelial barriers

Pulmonary fibrosis

Alveolar epithelium, Interstitial fibroblast

Prevent alveolar epithelial loss

Inhibit fibroblast proliferation

Asthma

Airway epithelium, Myofibroblasts, Airway smooth muscle

Create an anti-inflammatory environment

Inhibit airway wall remodeling

Inhibit smooth muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia

Cystic fibrosis

Airway epithelium

Deliver functional CFTR

Bronchiolitis obliterans

Airway epithelium

Reinforce the epithelium against toxic, viral or immunologic injury

Lung cancer

Epithelium

Detection, monitoring or treatment based on molecular regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation

  1. RDS = respiratory distress syndrome, CFTR= cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator *Each cell type listed in this column is affected in all of the specific conditions listed in the left hand column