Umbilical cord derived stem cell (ModulatistTM) transplantation for severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a report of two cases

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic disease affecting the airway of the respiratory system. COPD cases have rapidly increased in recent years, with the disease becoming the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Stem cell transplantation is a new approach to treat COPD. In this study we report in two cases the use of transplanted stem cells to treat COPD.

Methods: Umbilical cord derived stem cells (Modulatist^TM) were used in the study. Modulatist^TM was prepared according to previous published studies. Two patients with late stage COPD (stage IV) were transfused with Modulatist at a dose of 10⁶ cells/kg. Patients were evaluated by the COPD assessment test (CAT) score as well as the Modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (mMRC) score, before and after transplantation (1, 3 and 5 months post transplantation).

Results: Results showed that Modulatist^TM transplantation significantly improved sever COPD, especially after 3 months. At that time point, the two patients receiving Modulatist^TM showed a significantly improvement, from late-stage of COPD (stage IV) to stage I.

Conclusion: Although these initial results suggest that Modulatist^TMtransplantation is a promising therapy, more clinical studies in COPD patients are warranted to evaluate efficacy.