rhIGF-1/BP3 Preserves Lung Growth and Prevents Pulmonary Hypertension in Experimental BPD

What is it about?

Chronic lung disease, known as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, is a major complication of premature birth and causes high mortality and respiratory morbidities and pulmonary hypertension. Despite improved care and survival of extremely preterm infants, the incidence of BPD has not changed over the past few decades. Recent epidemiologic studies have shown that antenatal stress, including chorioamnionitis and preeclampsia, are strongly associated with high risk for BPD. Based on past studies suggesting that low levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is associated with the development of BPD, we hypothesized that infusion of rhIGF-1/BP3 would prevent changes in lung structure and function and the development of pulmonary hypertension in experimental rat models of BPD due to antenatal stress and in the traditional postnatal model of BPD due to hyperopia. In a series of studies, we found that rhIGF-1/BP3 treatment preserves lung structure and function and prevents pulmonary hypertension in each of these experimental models. We speculate that early treatment of human preterm infants with rhIGF-1/BP3 may prevent BPD.

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