Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 11 Nov 2026. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.
The claim
Posts online say that stem cell treatment helps with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Where research stands
We found 76 published papers on stem cell treatment and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. They were published between 2004 and 2026. 1 of them is a study in people. None of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 26 were studies in animals, and 3 were only in cells in the lab. 30 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 5 new studies in people are running or will start soon, says the trial register ClinicalTrials.gov.
- 1In people
- 26In animals
- 3Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
Stem cell treatment has been studied in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, but not in randomised trials.
What this means for you: A study in people is not proof that it helps you. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Autologous P63+ lung progenitor cell transplantation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a phase 1 clinical trial.2025 · Elife · Study in people
- Ageing-associated regenerative failure in the lung: stem cell senescence and transitional cell persistence in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.2026 · Eur Respir Rev · Review
- Pulmonary fibrosis: Emerging targets and novel therapeutics.2026 · J Int Med Res · Review
- [Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and lung epithelial tissue stem cell dysfunction].2026 · Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi · Review
- Advances in the research and application of stem cell therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.2025 · Am J Clin Exp Immunol · Review
- From senescence to scarring: Exploring TGF-β signaling in cellular aging, fibrotic remodeling, and pulmonary fibrosis.2025 · Cytokine Growth Factor Rev · Review
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis microenvironment: Novel mechanisms and research directions.2025 · Int Immunopharmacol · Review
- Golgi casein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of osteopontin orchestrates macrophage- lung-resident mesenchymal stem cells crosstalk and fibrogenesis: a targetable macromolecular axis.2026 · Int J Biol Macromol · In animals
- Human Urine Stem Cells Alleviate Pulmonary Fibrosis via Inhibiting Macrophage-Myofibroblast Transition.2026 · Adv Sci (Weinh) · In animals
- Combined mesenchymal stem cells and metformin therapy modulates key macromolecular pathways in pulmonary fibrosis based on evidence from untargeted metabolomics.2026 · Sci Rep · In animals
- Therapeutic Efficacy of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells for Bleomycin-Induced Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Comparative Study of Intravenous versus Intratracheal Administration.2026 · Cell J · In animals
- Mitochondrial Pyruvate Metabolism Controls Alveolar Stem Cell Fate and Inflammatory Balance.2026 · Inflammation · In animals
- Targeted peptide modification of mesenchymal stem cells enhances their therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.2025 · Front Cell Dev Biol · In animals
- Stimuli-Specific Senescence of Primary Human Lung Fibroblasts Modulates Alveolar Stem Cell Function.2024 · Cells · In the lab
- Modeling fibrotic alveolar transitional cells with pluripotent stem cell-derived alveolar organoids.2023 · Life Sci Alliance · In the lab
- Human pluripotent stem cell-derived respiratory airway progenitors generate alveolar epithelial cells and recapitulate features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.2023 · bioRxiv · In the lab
- Outcomes of Lung Transplantation for Bronchiolitis Obliterans after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Compared with Those for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.2026 · Yonsei Med J · Other paper
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Lung Resident Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients.2023 · Cells · Other paper
- Cloning a profibrotic stem cell variant in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.2023 · Sci Transl Med · Other paper
- ROS-activatable nanocomposites for CT imaging tracking and antioxidative protection of mesenchymal stem cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy.2023 · J Control Release · Other paper
