McGill University, Biomedical Engineering, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
McGill University Health Centre, Medical Physics Unit, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 22;7(1):9056. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-09021-7.
Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a debilitating side effect that occurs in up to 30% of thoracic irradiations in breast and lung cancer patients. RIPF remains a major limiting factor to dose escalation and an obstacle to applying more promising new treatments for cancer cure. Limited treatment options are available to mitigate RIPF once it occurs, but recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a drug treatment stimulating endogenous stem cells (GM-CSF) have been investigated for their potential in preventing this disease onset. In a pre-clinical rat model, we contrasted the application of longitudinal computed tomography (CT) imaging and classical histopathology to quantify RIPF and to evaluate the potential of MSCs in mitigating RIPF. Our results on histology demonstrate promises when MSCs are injected endotracheally (but not intravenously). While our CT analysis highlights the potential of GM-CSF treatment. Advantages and limitations of both analytical methods are contrasted in the context of RIPF.
放射性肺纤维化（RIPF）是一种使人虚弱的副作用，在乳腺癌和肺癌患者的胸部放疗中，高达 30%的患者会出现这种副作用。RIPF 仍然是剂量升级的主要限制因素，也是应用更有前途的癌症治疗新方法的障碍。一旦发生 RIPF，可选择的治疗方法有限，但最近，间充质干细胞（MSCs）和一种刺激内源性干细胞的药物治疗（GM-CSF）已被研究用于预防这种疾病的发生。在一项临床前大鼠模型中，我们对比了纵向计算机断层扫描（CT）成像和经典组织病理学，以量化 RIPF，并评估 MSCs 减轻 RIPF 的潜力。我们的组织学结果表明，当 MSCs 通过气管内注射（而不是静脉内注射）时，具有很大的应用潜力。虽然我们的 CT 分析强调了 GM-CSF 治疗的潜力，但这两种分析方法的优缺点在 RIPF 的背景下进行了对比。
