Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-10-12

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] World's first fatty tissue stem cell transplant into lung of pulmonary fibrosis patient carried out in Alexandroupolis

[01] World's first fatty tissue stem cell transplant into lung of pulmonary fibrosis patient carried out in Alexandroupolis

The patient, who had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis 2 1/2 years ago, underwent liposuction three months ago at a private hospital in Athens in order to isolate stem cells from the fatty tissue removed. Following a required quality check by the National Research Foundation's Primordial Cells Bank, a portion of the stem cells was administered to the patient intravenously. Three months after the first administration, the patient's condition had stabilised, while a marginal improvement was also recorded, Thrace's Democritus University pulmonology professor Dr. Demosthenes Bouros told ANA-MPA.

Prof. Bouros added that, in order to achieve better results, the patient was administered the stem cells a second time on October 8, again via bronchoscopy, this time directly into the patient's lung.

He explained that the first administration was carried out intravenously because that was the only known procedure at that time. But the surgeons at the Alexandroupolis University Hospital decided to conduct the second administration directly into lung, for the first time in the world, in order to achieve better results.

The patient left for his home in Athens after the second procedure, and the results of the surgery were expected over the next six months.

Some five million people worldwide are afflicted with pulmonary fibrosis, the prognosis for which is death within 3-5 years, similar to that for lung cancer. Patients die either from the disease itself, which causes respiratory deficiency and failure, or from related complications such as pulmonary hypertension, bacterial infections and lung cancer.

The cause of the disease, which causes progressive scarring of lung tissue, is unknown, although risk factors include smoking, gastroesophageal reflux, various viral infections, and exposure to chemical substances, dust, and heavy metals.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article