Authors: Henry E. Young, Gypsy F. Black, Julie A. Coleman, Kristina C. Hawkins, and Asa C. Black, Jr.
Primitive healing cells, i.e., pluripotent stem cells and totipotent stem cells, have been isolated from the skeletal muscle and blood of adult mammals, including humans. The current study was undertaken to determine the location of these cells with respect to normal and regenerating lung parenchyma of the adult rat. Adult rats were euthanized following the guidelines of Mercer University’s IACUC. The lungs were fixed, cryosectioned and stained with two antibodies diagnostic for primitive adult stem cells, i.e. SSEA-4 for pluripotent stem cells and CEA-CAM-1 for totipotent stem cells. In non-injured lung tissue SSEA-4 positive stem cells were located in areas of the smooth muscle within the parenchyma and bronchioles, whereas CEA-CAM-1 positive stem cells were located within the smooth muscle and visceral pleura. Both primitive stem cells were present in injured lung parenchyma undergoing repair. IRB-approved clinical studies are ongoing to address their functional significance in human clinical pulmonary injury and repair.
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