Fibrotic remodeling of the lung following lung and stem-cell transplantation

Transplantation of solid organs and hematopoietic stem cells represents an important therapeutic option for a variety of end-stage pulmonary diseases, aggressive hematopoietic neoplasms, or severe immunodeficiencies. Although the overall survival following transplantation has generally improved over recent decades, long-time survival of lung and stem-cell transplant recipients is still alarmingly low with an average 5-year survival rate of only 50-60%. Chronic allo-immunoreactions in general and pulmonary allo-immunoreactions with subsequent fibrosis in particular are major reasons for this poor outcome. Comparable patterns of fibrotic lung remodeling are observed following both lung and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. Besides the meanwhile well-established obliterative and functionally obstructive remodeling of the small airways - obliterative bronchiolitis - a specific restrictive subform of fibrosis, namely alveolar fibroelastosis, has been identified. Despite their crucial impact on patient outcome, both entities can be very challenging to detect by conventional histopathological analysis. Their underlying mechanisms are considered overreaching aberrant repair attempts to acute lung injuries with overactivation of (myo-) fibroblasts and excessive and irreversible deposition of extracellular matrix. Of note, the underlying molecular mechanisms are widely divergent between these two morphological entities and are independent of the underlying clinical setting. Further comprehensive investigations of these fibrotic alterations are key to the development of much-needed predictive diagnostics and curative concepts, considering the high mortality of pulmonary fibrosis following transplantation.

Automated summary

Transplantation of solid organs and hematopoietic stem cells is an important therapeutic option for end-stage pulmonary diseases, aggressive hematopoietic neoplasms, and severe immunodeficiencies. However, the long-term survival rate is still alarmingly low due to chronic allo-immunoreactions and pulmonary fibrosis. Further investigations are needed to develop predictive diagnostics and curative concepts for this high mortality condition.