title: Mesenchymal stem cells: a promising therapy for the acute respiratory distress syndrome.
abstract: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a pulmonary syndrome with growing prevalence and high mortality and morbidity that increase with age. There is no current therapy able to restore pulmonary function in ARDS patients. Preclinical models of ARDS have demonstrated that intratracheal or systemic administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) protects the lung against injury. The mechanisms responsible for the protective effects are multiple, including the secretion of multiple paracrine factors capable of modulating the immune response and restoring epithelial and endothelial integrity. Recent studies have demonstrated that MSCs can also control oxidative stress, transfer functional mitochondria to the damaged cells, and control bacterial infection by secretion of antibacterial peptides. These characteristics make MSCs promising candidates for ARDS therapy.
authors: Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. cardenesn@upmc.edu
authors: Nayra
authors: N
authors: Cárdenes
authors: Eder
authors: E
authors: Cáceres
authors: Militza
authors: M
authors: Romagnoli
authors: Mauricio
authors: M
authors: Rojas
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*