Experts are looking at the potential of stem cell therapy in developing new therapies aimed at conditions that do not respond well to treatment, such as non-small cell lung cancer.
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the two main types of lung cancer. Evidence suggests that roughly 80–85%Trusted Source of lung cancer is NSCLC. It occurs when cells that line the lungs grow abnormally.
Lung cancer is one of the most common cancersTrusted Source worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer-related death, representing about 25%Trusted Source of cancer deaths. Most lung cancer-related deaths are due to treatment failure and the spreading of cancer cells to distant sites (metastasis).
Current research proposes that NSCLC’s resistance to treatment and fast progression is due to the presence of specific types of cancer cells, called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which have the ability of normal stem cells, allowing them to divide and proliferate.
Stem cell therapy is a field of regenerative medicine that utilizes people’s own cells to promote healing, repair damaged tissue, and help boost the immune response to fight off cancer cells and infections.
In this article, we look at whether stem cell therapy is a viable treatment for NSCLC along with other new treatment breakthroughs.
Currently, there are limited studies that prove the effectiveness of using stem cell therapy in treating NSCLC, and the majority of these are still under clinical trials. Growing evidence suggests that stem cell therapy may also have some potential to treat other lung conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
While a few clinical studies suggest some promise of stem cell therapy in treating NSCLC, more research is necessary due to potential concerns regarding the effectiveness and safety of the therapy. At present, many experts do not recommend this therapy due to the potential risks, lack of proven benefits, and costs.
However, researchers continue to investigate the potential benefits. For example, a 2021 study indicates that mesenchymal stem cells may be able to inhibit NSCLC cells in a lab setting. An animal study also found that giving human-induced neural stem cells intravenously to mice was safe and reduced NSCLC tumor cells by seeking and killing them.
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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stem-cell-therapy-for-non-small-cell-lung-cancer#can-it-treat-nsclc