Respiratory diseases represent a wide array of most common diseases with
great social and financial burden. Despite the obvious progress in the treatment of
patients with respiratory pathology, achieved in the last decade, there are still many
incurable disorders such as emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, acute
respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, etc. The results of treatment of
these disorders are far from perfect and often the only today alternative is lung
transplantation. Regenerative medicine could become a new solution, offering real
tools for severe and progressive lung diseases. To date, numerous preclinical studies
have proven the effectiveness of regenerative technologies in different animal models
and in addition quite a few clinical trials have been started with the first results. This
review critically evaluates the data obtained in the experimental and clinical studies,
with the emphasis on advances and limitations of regenerative medicine.
Keywords: Airway engineering, ARDS, COPD, Emphysema, Pulmonary fibrosis,
Pulmonary hypertension, Regenerative medicine, Respiratory diseases, Sepsis,
Stem cell therapy.
