Autologous transplantation of myeloid cells reprogrammed ex-vivo by STING-Dependent Adjuvants (STAVs) as an alternative cell therapy for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Fibrotic parenchymal lung diseases, represent several chronic conditions that commonly lead to excessive collagen deposition in response to epithelial injury, called pulmonary fibrosis. The damaged alveolar epithelia are infiltrated by inflammatory cells concomitantly with the proliferation of fibroblasts that progress to interstitial fibrosis, a chronic and limiting disease, with reduced life expectancy. The high mortality makes lung transplantation necessary since the currently available pharmacological therapies are ineffective, becoming a significant public health problem. Although lung transplantation is an alternative to Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a range of limitations make the availability of transplants unfeasible for the population with IPF, mainly by the low number of compatible donors and maximum mortality risk due to surgery invasiveness, post-transplant rejection, and adverse effects of immunosuppressive drugs post-transplantation and related opportunistic respiratory infections. In this context, we are proposing a new cell therapy based on the autologous transplantation of myeloid cells “trained” ex-vivo by STING-Dependent Adjuvants (STAVs) that activates the STING pathway with anti-fibrogenic potential as non-pharmacological-alternative treatment for Pulmonary Fibrosis. This project is innovative and will contribute to understanding the manipulation of immune cells and developing non-pharmacological anti-fibrogenic tools. Thus, we intend to develop a therapeutic alternative for pulmonary fibrosis in order to reduce morbidity and mortality, providing an improvement in the quality of patient life, with an impact on the reduction in the transplant queue and public costs with patient treatment and hospitalizations.

Speaker

Prof. Remo Russo

LE STUDIUM Visiting Researcher / ARD CVL Biopharmaceuticals

FROM: Federal University of Minas Gerais -  BR
IN RESIDENCE AT: Experimental and Molecular Immunology and Neurogenetics (INEM) / CNRS, University of Orléans - FR