Burdened Breaths: Piezo Receptors as Mechanosensitive Targets in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Recovery

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease that primarily affects premature infants who require prolonged oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation. Recent studies emphasise the crucial role of Piezo receptors in regulating mechanotransduction, inflammatory responses, and vascular remodelling - key processes involved in the pathology of BPD. These findings suggest that Piezo receptors may serve as promising mechanosensitive targets for promoting BPD recovery. On the other hand, mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) have emerged as promising therapeutic agents due to their restorative and immunomodulatory effects, but whether MSC-EVs modulate Piezo receptor expression or function is unknown. This project investigated the expression of Piezo receptors in the heart and lungs of neonatal rats exposed to hyperoxia, a model of BPD. Histological and immunohistochemical / immunofluorescence analyses were performed to assess Piezo expression on the target tissues of pathological animals, both before and after injected with MSC-EVs. The effects of MSC-EV treatment on Piezo expression were then correlated with markers of inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue recovery. Collected data defined the role of Piezo receptor regulation on BPD development and treatment, preliminary supporting the use of MSC-EV regenerative therapy for this pathological condition.