Grant: Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program

Improvement in newborn medicine leads to better survival of the smallest and most premature infants. Every 10th baby is born too soon (or "preterm"). Complications of preterm birth are the main cause of death in children before the age of 5 years. The immature lungs in preterm babies lead them to require help at birth via a breathing tube and a breathing machine. This life-sustaining measure can lead to lung damage called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), limiting children from reaching their full potential. There is no cure for BPD. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), a type of cell (the building blocks in the body) that can be found in the umbilical cord, can repair the damaged lung in the laboratory. Early human trials show that MSC are safe for preterm infants. However, it can be difficult to produce enough because they come from a human source. Moreover, they can have different healing abilities. Stem cells can be an unlimited source of MSC that is less variable (termed iMSC). Our objectives are to show that iMSC are as safe and as (or more) efficacious as MSC from the umbilical cord. This will be tested in several laboratory models resembling BPD. The results will provide the evidence for advancing this new treatment into clinical trial. Throughout, we will look for differences between males and females. iMSC could represent a new therapeutic avenue for patients with BPD.