Towards a Combined Gene and Cell Therapy for Lung Diseases: The Case of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Respiratory diseases represent the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and for them a definitive cure is not included in the pharmacopeia. For example, despite improvements in mechanical ventilation, acute lung injury and its severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome, are the leading cause of death in critical care, with mortality rates of 40 to 60%. In the field of chronic lung diseases, treatment with antibiotics and other medicals has prolonged the life span of individuals with cystic fibrosis, the most lethal diseases of the Caucasian population with autosomal recessive inheritance, but this is still limited to 40 years. There is urgent and desperate need of novel effective therapies for these patients.