Preterm infants are receiving more and more exquisite and accurate care to ensure both their survival and that their quality of life does not suffer because they were born early.
Now, thanks to a new study published in the Journal of Pediatrics , preterm infants can be treated with stem cells to treat serious lung diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). It is precisely the fragile newborns who have a higher percentage of risk of developing it.
Throughout the study, the researchers evaluated the safety and feasibility of using stem cell therapies in very preterm infants to prevent or treat BPD.
Mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted intratracheally to nine very preterm infants (24-26 weeks gestational age) who were at high risk of developing BPD. Because they modulate the body's immune response (reaction of the immune system to a foreign body), complications associated with transplants are avoided.
Of all the babies who received the treatment, 33% developed a moderate BPD , and none of them in severe modality. Of the comparative group of babies who were not treated with stem cells, 72% developed moderate or severe BPD.
The conclusions of the study suggest that the administration of stem cells to preterm infants is safe and feasible and, in the future, will lead to new therapies to prevent or cure this lung disease.
