Cell therapy in lung disease

What does cell therapy mean?

Cell therapy means using living cells, or products derived from them, to treat disease. In lung disease, most research concerns mesenchymal stem cells and the substances they release. The idea is that they might reduce inflammation and help tissue repair.

The cell therapy services Dr. Valizadeh provides, where they take place and their licences will appear here once the doctor confirms them.

How far has the evidence come?

The short answer: encouraging, but not yet enough.

• COPD: a 2022 systematic review pooled 371 patients from 11 studies. The six-minute walk distance improved, the improvement in exhaled volume did not reach statistical significance, and the risk of hospital admission was not lower. The authors say the evidence comes from small trials and that large studies are needed.
• Lung fibrosis: most evidence comes from animal studies. A review of 36 studies in rodents reported positive results, but rodent results cannot be assumed to apply to people. Human trials still have to give their answer.
• Cell-free products: a recent review of substances released by stem cells says their long-term safety and mechanism are still unclear and that well-designed trials are needed.

Many promising approaches fail in animals or in people. So this field is worth following, but its result cannot yet be promised to an individual patient.

What do regulators say?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that unapproved cell products are being sold for conditions such as COPD and emphysema. It has approved only blood-forming cells from cord blood, and only for blood-production disorders. It has received reports of infection, tumour formation, blindness and immune reactions after unapproved treatments. This warning concerns the United States. If you are offered a treatment in Iran, ask about its licence from the country’s official authorities.

Ask before any treatment offer

• Which official body has approved this treatment for my disease?
• If it is not approved, is it part of a registered clinical trial with ethics approval?
• Am I being charged for it?
• How many patients with my disease have had it, and where are the published results?
• Where do the cells come from, where are they prepared, and how are they checked?
• What are the possible risks, and who is responsible if a complication occurs?
• Will I get a written consent form to read before I decide?
• Will this close the way to later studies for me?

Some signs call for caution: one treatment for very different diseases, reliance on patient praise instead of scientific papers, promises that it is “safe”, and pressure to decide quickly. More questions are in this article.