UC-MSCs exhibit superior antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects compared to BM-MSCs in a bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis model

TL;DR

Umbilical cord-derived stem cells outperformed bone marrow-derived stem cells in reducing lung fibrosis and inflammation in mice.

Contribution

Demonstrates UC-MSCs have superior antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects compared to BM-MSCs in a bleomycin-induced IPF model.

Findings

UC-MSCs reduced mortality, body weight loss, and lung damage more effectively than BM-MSCs.

UC-MSCs significantly decreased profibrotic markers like TGF-β, α-SMA, and hydroxyproline.

BM-MSCs showed limited protective effects and did not significantly impact key fibrosis markers.

Abstract

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious lung disease characterized by excessive tissue buildup and reduced lung function, with few effective treatment options available. This study investigates the effectiveness of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) compared to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced IPF. Male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, UC-MSC treatment, and BM-MSC treatment. IPF was induced by administering bleomycin, followed by UC-MSC or BM-MSC treatment on day 14. Lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected on day 42 for analysis. The results demonstrated that UC-MSCs were more effective than BM-MSCs in reducing mortality, alleviating body weight loss, and reversing lung damage. UC-MSC treatment significantly decreased profibrotic markers like TGF-β, α-SMA, and hydroxyproline, as well as proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6. In contrast, BM-MSCs provided limited protective effects and showed partial reductions in some indicators but did not significantly impact key markers. Collectively, these findings highlight the superior anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of UC-MSCs compared with BM-MSCs, supporting the potential relevance of UC-MSCs as a promising cell source for future MSC-based therapeutic strategies.

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