Title:Feasibility of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19: A Mini Review
Volume: 20
Issue: 4
Author(s): Jingwen Li, Xinyi Wang, Na Li , Ying Jiang, Heqing Huang*, Tao Wang, Zhicheng Lin and Nian Xiong*
Affiliation:
- Department of Pediatrics, People's Hospital of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei,China
- Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei,China
Keywords:
Mesenchymal stem cells, immune, regulate, repair, COVID-19, secretome.
Abstract: Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 carry the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which
involves multiple systems and organs with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as the most
common complication, largely due to cytokine storms or dysregulated immunity. As such, there are
many severe patients with complications such as cytokine storm syndrome (CSS), who have a high fatality
rate. Neither specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs nor vaccines exist currently. Current treatment relies
mainly on self-recovery through patients' immune function. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a
kind of multipotent tissue stem cells, which have powerful anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory
functions, inhibiting the cytokine storms. In addition, MSCs have a strong ability to repair tissue damage
and reduce the risk of severe complications such as acute lung injury and ARDS, and hopefully,
reduce the fatality rate in these patients. There are several clinical types of research completed for
treating COVID-19 with MSCs, all reporting restoration of T cells and clinical safety. Here we discuss
the clinical prospect and conclude the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism for MSCs in treating
COVID-19.
