title: Transplantation of Airway Epithelial Stem/Progenitor Cells: A Future for Cell-Based Therapy.
abstract: Cell therapy has the potential to cure disease through replacement of malfunctioning cells. Although the tissue stem cell (TSC) is thought to be the optimal therapeutic cell, transplantation of TSC/progenitor cell mixtures has saved lives. We previously purified the mouse tracheobronchial epithelial TSCs and reported that in vitro amplification generated numerous TSCs. However, these cultures also contained TSC-derived progenitor cells and TSC repurification by flow cytometry compromised TSC self-renewal. These limitations prompted us to determine if a TSC/progenitor cell mixture would repopulate the injured airway epithelium. We developed a cell transplantation protocol and demonstrate that transplanted mouse and human tracheobronchial epithelial TSC/progenitor cell mixtures are 20-25% of airway epithelial cells, actively contribute to epithelial repair, and persist for at least 43 days. At 2 weeks after transplantation, TSCs/progenitor cells differentiated into the three major epithelial cell types: basal, secretory, and ciliated. We conclude that cell therapy that uses adult tracheobronchial TSCs/progenitor cells is an effective therapeutic option.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pediatrics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado.
authors.forename: Moumita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Shama
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; and.
authors.forename: Carl W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: 4 Center for Perinatal Research, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009281:Naphthalenes; D051381:Rats; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D009281:Naphthalenes; C031721:naphthalene
keywords: airway epithelium; cell therapy; progenitor cell; tissue stem cell