DENVER — researchers have discovered that a single dose of mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow can treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The phase I research project was carried out by over a dozen researchers, primarily from the University of California, San Francisco.
Nine patients had the stem cell treatment for ARDS, with three different doses. Three patients received 1 million cells/kg predicted bodyweight, three received 5 million cells/kg predicted bodyweight and the last three received 10 million cells/kg predicted bodyweight. All three patients who received the highest dose survived and four of those on the lower dose survived. All surviving patients received less damage to their lungs than ARDS survivors would normally receive.
There were no adverse side effects reported from the treatment. Researchers also found patients had less inflammation and endothelial/epithelial injury from the disease. The research is an important breakthrough because there are currently no pharmacological treatments for ARDS and the mortality rate is very high.
Researchers suspect that the decrease in lung injury and increase in survival rates are due to the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and keratinocyte growth factor from the stem cells. They also found that the treatment has antimicrobial and antiapoptotic properties.
The stem cell treatment was given intravenously over a period of one hour — a relatively pain-free procedure. The main concern for doctors administering the stem cells was potential for adverse including hemodynamic instability.
This research indicates that a stem cell treatment for ARDS could only be a few years away.
Source: Stem Cells Hold Promise in ARDS