Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Intratracheal Instillation of Stem Cells in Term Neonatal Rats
Published on: May 4, 2020
Insulin-like growth factor-1: A potential target for bronchopulmonary dysplasia treatment (Review)
Shujian Zhang1, Xue Luan2, Huiwen Li1
1Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin 133000, P.R. China.
Insights
Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) shows promise for treating bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants. Studies indicate IGF-1 can reduce lung inflammation and improve alveolar development, suggesting it as a potential therapeutic target.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal respiratory medicine
- Pediatric pulmonology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a prevalent respiratory complication in preterm infants, especially low-birth-weight infants (LBWIs) and very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs).
- Despite decades of research, effective preventative or therapeutic strategies for BPD remain elusive.
- Pulmonary development is critically dependent on cellular processes like mitosis, proliferation, and DNA synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the definition, pathogenesis, and current research status of BPD.
- To analyze the role of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) in BPD pathogenesis.
- To explore the potential of IGF-1 as a therapeutic target for BPD treatment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of existing studies on BPD and IGF-1.
- Examination of IGF-1's biological functions related to pulmonary development.
- Evaluation of experimental findings on IGF-1's effects in BPD models.
Main Results:
- IGF-1 plays a significant role in fetal and postnatal lung development.
- IGF-1 influences BPD development and progression through various biological pathways.
- Exogenous IGF-1 administration has demonstrated potential in mitigating lung inflammation, apoptosis, and alveolar developmental issues in BPD.
Conclusions:
- IGF-1 is implicated in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
- The findings suggest that IGF-1 could serve as a novel therapeutic target for managing BPD.
- Further research into IGF-1's mechanisms and clinical application is warranted for BPD treatment.
Abstract:
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common respiratory disorder among preterm infants, particularly low-birth-weight infants (LBWIs) and very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs). Although BPD was first reported 50 years ago, no specific drugs or efficient measures are yet available for prevention or treatment. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) belongs to the insulin family. It promotes mitosis and stimulates cell proliferation and DNA synthesis, the primary factors involved in pulmonary development during the fetal and postnatal periods. Several studies have reported that IGF-1 exerts certain effects on BPD genesis and progression by regulating BPD-related biological processes. In addition, exogenous addition of IGF-1 can alleviate lung inflammation, cell apoptosis and eliminate alveolar development disorders in children with BPD. These findings suggest that IGF-1 could be a new target for treating BPD. Here, we summarize and analyze the definition, pathogenesis, and research status of BPD, as well as the pathogenesis of IGF-1 in BPD and the latest findings in related biological processes.
