UC-MSCs exhibit superior antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects compared to BM-MSCs in a bleomycin-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis model

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious lung disease characterized by excessive tissue buildup and reduced lung function, with few effective treatment options available. This study investigates the effectiveness of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) compared to bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced IPF. Male BALB/c mice were divided into four groups: control, bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, UC-MSC treatment, and BM-MSC treatment. IPF was induced by administering bleomycin, followed by UC-MSC or BM-MSC treatment on day 14. Lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected on day 42 for analysis. The results demonstrated that UC-MSCs were more effective than BM-MSCs in reducing mortality, alleviating body weight loss, and reversing lung damage. UC-MSC treatment significantly decreased profibrotic markers like TGF-<i>β</i>, <i>α</i>-SMA, and hydroxyproline, as well as proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-<i>α</i> and IL-6. In contrast, BM-MSCs provided limited protective effects and showed partial reductions in some indicators but did not significantly impact key markers. Collectively, these findings highlight the superior anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of UC-MSCs compared with BM-MSCs, supporting the potential relevance of UC-MSCs as a promising cell source for future MSC-based therapeutic strategies.