Dr. Tim Wolfs researcher The lungs are often the organ that is most badly affected in premature babies. Firstly, premature births are often caused by an amniotic fluid infection. While the baby is still in the womb, practising how to breathe, he or she ingests infected amniotic fluid, resulting in pneumonia. In many cases, premature babies need immediate ventilator support, but that might cause further damage too. Other organs in the body of a premature baby, such as the brain and gastrointestinal systems, also go through a tough time. With a large team consisting of neonatologists, gynaecologists, immunologists and biomedical scientists, we are trying to beat the harmful effects of premature birth and complications during pregnancy. In doing so, we are considering all aspects, from genetic predisposition to lifestyle. At the moment we focus on stem cells. To treat children with BPD, we use a special type of stem cells that accelerate lung development and prevent damage. These cells also have an anti inflammatory function. If we can get the stem cells into a baby’s bloodstream via the umbilical cord before birth, we may not be able to prevent premature birth, but we could significantly ease the consequences of an infection, for example. In our laboratory, we are currently working on a method to determine at an early stage whether or not the amniotic fluid is infected. We also study the most effective way to administer stem cells. We carry out this research on a type of miniature lungs developed in a laboratory, before looking at the effects of stem cells in animal testing. Another aspect we are investigating is whether it is best to administer stem cells before or after birth. It is important for us to research these issues thoroughly and record our findings as meticulously as possible, as doctors will be using our results to determine who is and is not eligible for this innovative treatment, and at which moment. Once treatment is started, doctors keep us up to date on the progress of their patients, so that we can use these outcomes for more research into the most effective treatment methods. Eventually, we hope that further research will enable us also to do more for people with COPD and other lung disorders. On the job
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