Cell-based Therapy for Pulmonary Injury

Abstract

Current treatment regimens for inhalation injury are mainly supportive and rely on self-regeneration processes for recovery. Pulmonary injury from acute smoke inhalation is present in up to 60% of burn patients. With the increasing frequency and scale of bush fires in Australia and other smoke-generating incidents such as terrorist attacks, explosions and earthquakes around the world, the therapeutic regimens for inhalation injury need to be improved. Cell therapy with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is increasingly investigated for the treatment of inhalation injury. This project is aimed to demonstrate that MSCs can be delivered directly to the lung to accelerate tissue repair and regeneration after injury. Detailed engineering of the aerosolisation process and the inclusion of other regenerative co-factors in the formulation will enhance the effectiveness of MSC therapy in the injured lung. Paracrine action through the secretion of extracellular vesicles is an important mechanism of action of these cells as it signals the injured tissue to recover and regenerate. Through this project, a ground-breaking, single-vesicle atomic force microscope infrared spectroscopy characterisation method for analysing the chemical composition of stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles is developed. The technologies established through this project will be a paradigm shift in regenerative medicine and set the ground for future improvements in the treatment of other diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder and lung fibrosis.