Isolation of tracheal aspirate mesenchymal stromal cells predicts bronchopulmonary dysplasia

We have isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from tracheal aspirates of premature infants with respiratory distress. Under the influence of transforming growth factor β, MSCs differentiate into α-smooth-muscle actin-expressing myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts are increased in the lungs of patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a chronic lung disease of prematurely born infants. We tested whether isolation of MSCs from tracheal aspirates of premature infants with respiratory distress during the first week of life correlates with BPD. Eighty-four infants born at a gestational age of