title: Investigation of Telomerase/Telomeres system in Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells derived from IPF and RA-UIP.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis associated usual interstitial pneumonia seem to have the same poor outcome as there is not an effective treatment. The aim of the study is to explore the reparative ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by evaluating the system telomerase/telomeres and propose a novel therapeutic approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  BM-MSCs were studied in 6 IPF patients, 7 patients with RA-UIP and 6 healthy controls. We evaluated the telomere length as well as the mRNA expression of both components of telomerase (human telomerase reverse transcriptase, h-TERT and RNA template complementary to the telomeric loss DNA, h-TERC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that BM-MSCs from IPF, RA-UIP cases do not present smaller telomere length than the controls (p = 0.170). There was no significant difference regarding the expression of both h-TERT and h-TERC genes between patients and healthy controls (p = 0.107 and p = 0.634 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated same telomere length and telomerase expression in BM-MSCs of both IPF and RA-UIP which could explain similarities in pathogenesis and prognosis. Maintenance of telomere length in these cells could have future implication in cell replacement treatment with stem cells of these devastating lung disorders.
authors: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece.|Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pulmonology, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Katerina M
authors: KM
authors: Antoniou
authors: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece.|Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pulmonology, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: George A
authors: GA
authors: Margaritopoulos
authors: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece.|Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pulmonology, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Athanasia
authors: A
authors: Proklou
authors: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pulmonology, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Konstantinos
authors: K
authors: Karagiannis
authors: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece.|Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Pulmonology, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Ismini
authors: I
authors: Lasithiotaki
authors: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Giannoula
authors: G
authors: Soufla
authors: Hematopoiesis Research Laboratory, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Maria Christina
authors: MC
authors: Kastrinaki
authors: Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Demetrios A
authors: DA
authors: Spandidos
authors: Hematopoiesis Research Laboratory, Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors: Helen A
authors: HA
authors: Papadaki
authors: Department of Thoracic Medicine, Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Nikos M
authors: NM
authors: Siafakas