Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering in Lung Biology and Lung Diseases

用干细胞或生物工程组织修复和再生病变肺是令人兴奋的潜力 各种肺部疾病和危重疾病的治疗方法。临床前研究证据增加 模型表明，通常不驻留在肺中的细胞可用于调节免疫应答。 然而，在将这些有希望的发现转化为临床方面存在挑战。在 与此同时，生物工程研究也在激增，研究人工和脱细胞肺的使用。 基质作为三维肺或气道再生的支架，最近有一些尝试， 在大型动物模型中移植。这些研究与利用干细胞的研究相结合， 诱导多能干细胞衍生物和/或细胞疗法是一项有前途和迅速发展的研究 区这些研究已经进一步证实了对分子和 内源性肺干细胞和/或祖细胞在肺发育过程中产生和分化的细胞事件 在肺损伤后的正常和病理性修复和重塑中起重要作用。我们举行了八次 从2005年到2019年在佛蒙特大学举行的两年一度的会议。这些都带来了 与初级教师和学员一起领导国际调查人员，迅速讨论这方面的问题， 移动场这些会议非常成功，产生了一系列指导方针， 基础、转化和临床研究将由研究者和资助机构使用。因为研究 关于干细胞和细胞疗法治疗肺部疾病的研究继续快速发展，该领域探讨了如何 为了更好地解释这些方法，我们建议再次召集相关调查人员， 来自NHLBI、FDA和领先的非营利呼吸系统疾病基金会的代表， 问题.特别要讨论的一个领域是基础研究和转化研究之间的平衡， 临床试验的作用，特别是因为现在已经有各种细胞类型的临床研究， 许多疾病，包括ARDS、BPD、COPD、IPF、肺动脉高压、脓毒症，以及最近 新冠肺炎。与以前的会议一样，将特别侧重于提高初级调查员和受训人员的水平， 如何进一步发展这一领域的职业生涯。像往常一样，初级调查员，学员和调查员 代表人数不足的少数群体将被优先纳入会议组织、口头发言， 主持活动、讨论和海报会议。受训人员将能够竞争增加的人数 基于对提交摘要的盲法审查的旅行奖励。会议计划于2021年7月在 佛蒙特大学计划从混合会议转向完全在线会议， 由于持续的COVID-19大流行限制，我们预计，这次会议将继续 促进广泛的讨论和辩论，并将显着指导方向，在基础，翻译和临床 干细胞、细胞疗法和肺部疾病的生物工程方法的研究。

Repair and regeneration of diseased lung with stem cells or bioengineered tissue are exciting potential therapeutic approaches for a variety of lung diseases and critical illnesses. Increasing evidence in preclinical models suggests that cells which are not normally resident in the lung can be utilized to modulate immune responses after injury, but there have been challenges in translating these promising findings to the clinic. In parallel, there has been a surge in bioengineering studies investigating use of artificial and acellular lung matrices as scaffolds for three-dimensional lung or airway regeneration, with some recent attempts of transplantation in large animal models. The combination of these studies with those utilizing stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cell derivatives, and/or cell therapies is a promising and rapidly developing research area. These studies have been further paralleled by significant increases in understanding the molecular and cellular events by which endogenous lung stem and/or progenitor cells arise and differentiate during lung development and in normal and pathologic repair and remodeling after lung injury. We have held eight previous biennial conferences at the University of Vermont from 2005 through 2019. These have brought together leading international investigators with junior faculty and trainees to discuss issues in this rapidly moving field. These conferences have been highly successful and have resulted in a series of guidelines for basic, translational, and clinical research to be utilized by both investigators and funding agencies. As studies on stem cell and cell therapies for lung diseases continues to move at a rapid pace and the field explores how to best translate these approaches, we propose to again convene the relevant investigators as well as representatives from the NHLBI, FDA, and leading non-profit respiratory disease foundations to discuss current issues. One area in particular to be discussed is the balance between basic and translational research and the role of clinical trials, particularly as there have now been clinical investigations of various cell types for a number of conditions including ARDS, BPD, COPD, IPF, pulmonary hypertension, sepsis, and more recently COVID-19. As with prior conferences a particular focus will be on rising junior investigators and trainees and how to further develop careers in this area. As always, junior investigators, trainees, and investigators from underrepresented minority groups will be prioritized for inclusion in conference organization, oral presentations, chairing activities, discussions, and poster sessions. Trainees will be able to compete for an increased number of travel awards based on blinded review of submitted abstracts. The conference is planned for July 2021 at the University of Vermont with plans for a switch from a hybrid conference to a fully online conference if necessary due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. We anticipate that this conference will continue to foster extensive discussion and debate and will significantly guide directions in basic, translational, and clinical research of stem cells, cell therapies, and bioengineering approaches for lung diseases.