Impact of shear stretch and oxygen toxicity on pulmonary MSC of the preterm infant.

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) represents one of the most important sequelae of preterm birth affecting more than 20% of infants born below 32 weeks. Mechanical ventilation exerting shear stress (cyclic mechanical stress, CMS) and oxygen toxicity (hyperoxia, Hox) mainly contribute to the pathogenesis of BPD. The study proposal aims to separate the impact of CMS and Hox on pulmonary mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) isolated from preterm infants participating in the DZL PROTECT-AIRR cohort study in a world-wide unique in vitro setting. The impact of rhythmic 2D and 3D stretch to MSC cell cultures alone and in combination with different fractions of oxygen is evaluated with respect to MSC phenotype, transcriptional regulation, protein alterations and paracrine secretion. 6 groups with 8-16 biological replicates