World's first autologous lung stem cell transplant conducted in China
- By Chen Xia
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 23, 2018
Researchers from the Shanghai-based Tongji University successfully regenerated human lung through stem cell transplantation.
This was the world's first successful clinical trial of autologous lung stem cell transplantation.
The process and results of the research were published in the science journal Protein & Cell on Jan. 17.
Two non-smoking male patients with chronic lung diseases were selected for the operations, which were conducted in April 2016 by professor Zuo Wei and his research team from Tongji University's Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Nano Science .
Cells were taken from the patients' airways and cultured outside their bodies before being transplanted into their lungs. The cells began to replace injured tissue three months after operation.
No aberrant cell growth or other related adverse events were observed in a year and half following the operations, and lifelong observation on the two patients will be conducted, according to the research article.
Lung-related diseases are among the major causes of human death. Most of the lethal lung diseases are characterized by irreversible, progressive damage of lung tissues.
Transplantation is believed to be an effective solution for patients with severe lung diseases, but its application is largely limited due to the extreme lack of donor lungs, as well as the severe side effects resulting from immune-rejection.
The success of the clinical trial offers a new option for transplantation therapy.
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