Combinational Therapy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Metformin in Bleomycin-Induced Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rat Model.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and severe lung disease characterized by the buildup of interstitial fibrosis, where excessive collagen accumulates, leading to airway obstruction. This condition is initiated by the abnormal proliferation of alveolar type II (AT2) cells. Metformin, an established antidiabetic drug, has gained attention for its repurposed use as an anti-fibrotic agent. Meanwhile, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) exhibit potent anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties, and they have been shown to reduce collagen deposition. In this study, we hypothesize that the combination of metformin and ADMSCs can synergistically alleviate IPF and promote healthy lung tissue regeneration in a rat model. The goal is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this approach at multiple levels; biochemical, molecular, histopathological, and histochemical. To induce IPF, Wistar albino rats received a single intratracheal dose of bleomycin (5 mg/kg body weight). The therapeutic phase involved treatment with either metformin or ADMSCs or a combination of both. Metformin was administered intraperitoneally (65 mg/kg body weight) every other day, while ADMSCs were delivered intravenously (1 × 10⁶ cells/0.5 ml DMEM/rat) through the tail vein. Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of combinational therapy, especially in mitigating oxidative stress

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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