“This trial could change the way we care for premature babies. It’s my hope that these tiny patients will have a better chance to thrive, grow up, and have an impact on the world around them,” - Dr. Bernard Thébaud.Dr. Bernard Thébaud was awarded $2.8 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Trials Fund for a Phase 2 clinical trial using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in premature babies.

Very premature babies need extra oxygen and mechanical intervention to breathe. Unfortunately, this damages their lungs, causing BPD. Around 1,000 premature babies in Canada develop BPD every year, and there is no cure.

Babies with BPD often develop other chronic lung diseases, such as asthma, and may require prolonged oxygen and ventilation. This can lead to problems in other organs as well, such as the brain or eyes.

Dr. Thébaud’s team previously conducted a world-first trial of MSC therapy in nine preterm babies, funded by the Stem Cell Network. This Phase 1 trial showed the therapy was safe. The results are expected to be published in the coming year.

This new funding will allow the team to complete a larger randomized controlled clinical trial in eight centres across Canada to see whether the cells can reduce the number of days a baby needs ventilation. More time spent on a ventilator increases a baby’s risk of developing BPD and impedes brain development. The team hopes to launch the trial in spring 2025.

“This trial could change the way we care for premature babies. It’s my hope that these tiny patients will have a better chance to thrive, grow up, and have an impact on the world around them,” said Dr. Thébaud, a neonatologist and senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and CHEO and professor at the University of Ottawa.

In addition to CIHR and the Stem Cell Network, Dr. Thébaud’s research on cell therapy for preterm babies has been supported by MDTB Cells GmbH, the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation, the CHEO Foundation and the University of Ottawa. His research is also enabled by Core Resources at The Ottawa Hospital such as the Ottawa Methods Centre, the Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Centre, and the BLUEPRINT Translational Research Group.

Co-Investigators and collaborators: Dean Fergusson, Prakeshkumar Shah, Elizabeth Asztalos, Anne Monique Nuyt, Mireille Guillot, Marc Beltempo, Thierry Lacaze-Masmonteil, Fabiana Bacchini, Michael Dunn, Paula Robeson, Laurent Renesme, Georg Schmoelzer, David Courtman, Maher Shahroor, Amit Mukerji, Timothy Ramsay, Justin Presseau.

Dr. Thébaud is a neonatologist and senior scientist in The Ottawa Hospital’s Regenerative Medicine Program, which includes the Sinclair Centre for Regenerative Medicine and the Sprott Centre for Stem Cell Research. He is also a neonatologist and senior scientist at CHEO and holds the uOttawa Partnership Research Chair in Regenerative Medicine. He is also Associate Scientific Director of the Stem Cell Network. Check out this Q&A and podcast to learn more about what inspires him.