End-stage lung disease

Various acute and chronic pulmonary diseases lead ultimately to lung failure (endstage lung disease, ELD). When all other options have been exhausted and the patient is beyond treatment, two possibilities remain: extracorporeal lung membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and lung transplantation (LTx). If there is chronic damage, LTx remains the only therapy available.

LTx is, however, a valid option for only a limited number of patients. Furthermore, rejection reactions play a decisive role in the long-term survival of these patients.

ECMO on the other hand is still used only for short-term applications, primarily as a bridge to the ultimate lung transplantation and to improve acute pulmonary infection diseases (e.g. H1N1). Regenerative therapies are not available. Research in this field is thus of the utmost importance.