Dr. Bernard Thébaud, a Canadian physician and researcher, has developed stem cell treatment that shows great promise in eliminating chronic lung disease in premature babies. Dr. Thébauds research was published November, 30, in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Newborn rats were exposed to high levels of oxygen that caused them to develop lung disease. Introduction of bone marrow derived stem cells not only improved the rat's lung function it actually cured the diseased cells.
Most premature babies are so small that their lungs cannot function on their own. It is a simple matter of physics. The baby does not have enough muscle power to inspire at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure (32 psi.). To save the premies, doctors presently use a ventilator for the first several weeks of the premies life. This usually leaves the premie with a lifelong chronic lung condition.
The researchers expect a treatment for people to be available in less than two years. There is also a great hope that this treatment can be effective on chronic lung conditions in adults. The stem cells were dervied from bone marrow.
Dr. Bernard Thébaud is a specialist in the Stollery Children's Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Alexandra Hospital a researcher in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta.
The study, Airway Delivery of Mesenchymal Stem Cells prevents Arrested Alveolar Growth In Neonatal Lung Injury In Rats, is available at http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/current.shtml
http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/news/2009-11-26.php
Movies of the discovery can be viewed at
http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/video/Thebaud_MEDIA_AVI.avi
http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/video/Thebaud_B-ROLL_MOV.mov
http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/video/Thebaud_B-ROLL_AVI.avi
Dr. Bernard Thébaud at bthebaud@ualberta.ca
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