Many patients who have received a lung transplant will go on to develop bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). University of Michigan researchers have developed a new diagnostic tool to predict BOS, allowing doctors to intervene earlier and, ultimately, to provide life-saving treatments.
The researchers discovered that patients who had a high number of stem cells in their lungs six months after transplantation were much more likely to develop BOS than those with lower counts. The study identifies the role that these cells play in both human repair and disease, providing a strong biomarker for BOS. While the exact relationship between the mesenchymal stromal cells and BOS remains unclear. Doctors know that most of the cells originate with the donor and not the recipient. Spikes in cell counts are seen shortly after transplantation as the body responds to the injury; those levels usually taper off, but a second rise of cell counts after about six months is linked to a patient’s likelihood of developing BOS.
