Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the chronic
lung disease of prematurity that affects very preterm infants. Although advances in
perinatal care have changed the course of
lung injury and enabled the survival of infants born as early as 23-24 weeks of gestation, BPD still remains a common complication of extreme prematurity, and there is no specific treatment for it. Furthermore, children, adolescents, and adults who were born very preterm and developed BPD have an increased risk of persistent lung dysfunction, including early-onset
emphysema. Therefore, it is possible that early-life pulmonary insults, such as extreme prematurity and BPD, may increase the risk of
COPD later in life, especially if exposed to secondary challenges such as
respiratory infections and/or smoking. Recent advances in our understanding of stem/progenitor cells and their potential to repair damaged organs offer the possibility of cell-based treatments for neonatal and adult
lung injuries. This paper summarizes the long-term pulmonary outcomes of
preterm birth and BPD and discusses the recent advances of cell-based
therapies for
lung diseases, with a particular focus on BPD and
COPD.