A team of Spanish scientists has developed a groundbreaking method for delivering cell therapies to patients on ECMO—an innovation that could reshape treatment options for critical lung failure. Published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, the new technique bypasses a significant obstacle that has long hindered regenerative therapies in this vulnerable group. And in a rare move, the team has chosen not to patent it—ensuring public health systems worldwide can benefit.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often a last resort—a complex, high-stakes system used when the lungs fail catastrophically. But for all its life-saving potential, ECMO comes with its own set of limitations. Chief among them: it renders many cell therapies impossible. Intravenous delivery, the usual route for regenerative medicine, poses a major risk to ECMO circuits. The cells can clog gas-exchange membranes, jeopardizing the entire system.
That’s the hurdle a multidisciplinary team led by Professor Bernat Soria at Spain’s Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) set out to overcome. Their solution: CIBA, or Consecutive Intrabronchial Administration. It’s a method that delivers stem cells directly into the alveoli—the tiny air sacs of the lungs—without ever touching the bloodstream.
“What we've achieved,” says Prof. Soria, “is a safe way to deliver regenerative therapies when all other options are blocked. Imagine watering a fragile plant, but the watering can would flood it. CIBA allows us to drip-feed the therapy gently and exactly where it's needed—right into the lungs.”
By bypassing the ECMO circuit entirely, the CIBA approach sidesteps the mechanical risks that previously ruled out these treatments. The delivery is fractionated and carefully controlled, allowing cells to settle in precisely where they're most needed. And perhaps most importantly, it’s already been tested—under the most harrowing circumstances.
The CIBA method was first deployed under compassionate use in a two-year-old child with end-stage interstitial lung disease. The outlook was grim: three months of ECMO support, no hope of lung transplantation, and no effective response to standard therapies.
With emergency clearance from Spain’s Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS), the clinical team administered a single dose of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (WJ-MSCs) using the new method. The results were promising—the patient tolerated the treatment well and was extubated within 72 hours.
While the child’s condition ultimately worsened and ECMO was withdrawn after 127 days, the case marked a pivotal proof of concept. “CIBA did not cure the underlying disease,” notes Prof. Soria, “but it demonstrated, for the first time, that cell therapies can be delivered safely in ECMO patients. That's a breakthrough. We now have a new therapeutic door to open.”
Mesenchymal stromal cells—sourced from tissues like bone marrow, umbilical cords, or even dental pulp—are versatile, unspecialized cells that can migrate to injured tissue. In the lungs, they engage with local immune cells, particularly alveolar macrophages, and release a cascade of anti-inflammatory and regenerative signals. The result: tissue protection, immune modulation, and enhanced healing.
Because CIBA delivers the cells directly to the lung surface, it avoids systemic exposure and focuses its action where it matters most. The researchers are optimistic that higher doses or repeated treatments may yield even greater effects in future trials.
This advancement wasn’t the work of one lab but a collaborative national effort under Spain’s DECODE clinical project, funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. The study brought together 28 clinicians and researchers from four key institutions: Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Banc de Sang i Teixits in Catalonia, UMH’s Institute of Bioengineering, and ISABIAL in Alicante.
Perhaps most remarkably, the team has opted not to patent the method, forgoing commercial rights to ensure it reaches patients as widely and affordably as possible.
“Advanced therapies are already expensive enough,” says Prof. Soria. “We chose not to patent this technique because it should reach patients without adding more cost. We're committed to public science with direct clinical impact.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adip elit. Donec posuere dolor massa, pellentesque aliquam nisl facilisis sed.
A team of Spanish scientists has developed a groundbreaking method for delivering cell therapies to patients on ECMO—an innovation that could reshape treatment options for critical lung failure. Published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, the new technique bypasses a significant obstacle that has long hindered regenerative therapies in this vulnerable group. And in a rare move, the team has chosen not to patent it—ensuring public health systems worldwide can benefit.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often a last resort—a complex, high-stakes system used when the lungs fail catastrophically. But for all its life-saving potential, ECMO comes with its own set of limitations. Chief among them: it renders many cell therapies impossible. Intravenous delivery, the usual route for regenerative medicine, poses a major risk to ECMO circuits. The cells can clog gas-exchange membranes, jeopardizing the entire system.
That’s the hurdle a multidisciplinary team led by Professor Bernat Soria at Spain’s Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) set out to overcome. Their solution: CIBA, or Consecutive Intrabronchial Administration. It’s a method that delivers stem cells directly into the alveoli—the tiny air sacs of the lungs—without ever touching the bloodstream.
“What we've achieved,” says Prof. Soria, “is a safe way to deliver regenerative therapies when all other options are blocked. Imagine watering a fragile plant, but the watering can would flood it. CIBA allows us to drip-feed the therapy gently and exactly where it's needed—right into the lungs.”
By bypassing the ECMO circuit entirely, the CIBA approach sidesteps the mechanical risks that previously ruled out these treatments. The delivery is fractionated and carefully controlled, allowing cells to settle in precisely where they're most needed. And perhaps most importantly, it’s already been tested—under the most harrowing circumstances.
The CIBA method was first deployed under compassionate use in a two-year-old child with end-stage interstitial lung disease. The outlook was grim: three months of ECMO support, no hope of lung transplantation, and no effective response to standard therapies.
With emergency clearance from Spain’s Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS), the clinical team administered a single dose of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (WJ-MSCs) using the new method. The results were promising—the patient tolerated the treatment well and was extubated within 72 hours.
While the child’s condition ultimately worsened and ECMO was withdrawn after 127 days, the case marked a pivotal proof of concept. “CIBA did not cure the underlying disease,” notes Prof. Soria, “but it demonstrated, for the first time, that cell therapies can be delivered safely in ECMO patients. That's a breakthrough. We now have a new therapeutic door to open.”
Mesenchymal stromal cells—sourced from tissues like bone marrow, umbilical cords, or even dental pulp—are versatile, unspecialized cells that can migrate to injured tissue. In the lungs, they engage with local immune cells, particularly alveolar macrophages, and release a cascade of anti-inflammatory and regenerative signals. The result: tissue protection, immune modulation, and enhanced healing.
Because CIBA delivers the cells directly to the lung surface, it avoids systemic exposure and focuses its action where it matters most. The researchers are optimistic that higher doses or repeated treatments may yield even greater effects in future trials.
This advancement wasn’t the work of one lab but a collaborative national effort under Spain’s DECODE clinical project, funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. The study brought together 28 clinicians and researchers from four key institutions: Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, Banc de Sang i Teixits in Catalonia, UMH’s Institute of Bioengineering, and ISABIAL in Alicante.
Perhaps most remarkably, the team has opted not to patent the method, forgoing commercial rights to ensure it reaches patients as widely and affordably as possible.
“Advanced therapies are already expensive enough,” says Prof. Soria. “We chose not to patent this technique because it should reach patients without adding more cost. We're committed to public science with direct clinical impact.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adip elit. Donec posuere dolor massa, pellentesque aliquam nisl facilisis sed.
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