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Analysis of institutional authors

Edel, MichaelCorresponding AuthorSanchez-Lopez LiAuthorSerrano-Mollar ACorresponding Author

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June 16, 2020
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Article

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived lung alveolar epithelial type II cells reduce damage in bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis

Publicated to:Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 11 (1): 213- - 2020-06-03 11(1), DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01726-3

Authors: Alvarez-Palomo, B; Sanchez-Lopez, LI; Serrano-Mollar, A; Moodley, Y; Edel, MJ

Affiliations

Banc Sang & Teixits, Edif Dr Frederic Duran I Jorda,Passeig Taulat 116, Barcelona 08005, Spain - Author
Barraquer Centro de Oftalmologia - Author
Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias - Author
Centro de Transfusion y Banco de Tejidos - Author
Consejo Super Invest Cientf IIBB CSIC, Inst Invest Biomed Barcelona, Dept Expt Pathol, Inst Invest Biomed August Pi & Sunyer IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain - Author
Ctr Invest Biomed Red Enfermedades Resp CIBERES, Madrid, Spain - Author
Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer - IDIBAPS - Author
Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Inst Univ Barraquer, Ctr Oftalmol Barraquer, Barcelona, Spain - Author
Univ Western Australia, Ctr Cell Therapy & Regenerat Med CCTRM, Harry Perkins Res Inst, Perth, WA, Australia - Author
University of Western Australia - Author
Victor Chang Cardiac Res Inst, Sydney, NSW, Australia - Author
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute - Author
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic, progressive, and severe disease with a limited response to currently available therapies. Epithelial cell injury and failure of appropriate healing or regeneration are central to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether intratracheal transplantation of alveolar type II-like cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells can stop and reverse the fibrotic process in an experimental model of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in rats. METHODS: Human induced pluripotent stem cells were differentiated to alveolar type II-like cells and characterized. Lung fibrosis was induced in rats by a single intratracheal instillation of bleomycin. Animals were transplanted with human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated to alveolar type II-like cells at a dose of 3 × 106 cells/animal 15 days after endotracheal bleomycin instillation when the animal lungs were already fibrotic. Animals were sacrificed 21 days after the induction of lung fibrosis. Lung fibrosis was assessed by hydroxiprolin content, histologic studies, and the expression of transforming growth factor-β and α-smooth muscle actin. RESULTS: Cell transplantation of alveolar type II-like cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells can significantly reduce pulmonary fibrosis and improve lung alveolar structure, once fibrosis has already formed. This is associated with the inhibition of transforming growth factor-β and α-smooth muscle actin in the damaged rat lung tissue. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first data to demonstrate that at the fibrotic stage of the disease, intratracheal transplantation of human induced pluripotent differentiated to alveolar type II-like cells halts and reverses fibrosis.

Keywords

alveolar type ii cellscell differentiationcell therapydifferentiationidiopathic pulmonary fibrosisinflammationpulmonarytransplantationAlveolar epithelial cellsAlveolar type ii cellsAnimalsBleomycinCell differentiationCell therapyDifferentiationDisease models, animalEpithelial cellsHumansIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosisIn-vitroInduced pluripotent stem cellsInflammationLungPulmonaryRatsTransplantation

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2020, it was in position 24/140, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Medicine, Research & Experimental.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.49. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 1.34 (source consulted: FECYT Feb 2024)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-07-21, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 30
  • Scopus: 31
  • Europe PMC: 25

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-21:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 50.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 50 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 0.5.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Australia.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (Serrano Mollar, Anna).

the authors responsible for correspondence tasks have been Edel, Michael and Serrano Mollar, Anna.