Feasibility of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19: A Mini Review

Jingwen Li; Xinyi Wang; Na Li; Ying Jiang; Heqing Huang; Tao Wang; Zhicheng Lin; Nian Xiong

doi:10.2174/1566523220999200820172829

Feasibility of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for COVID-19: A Mini Review

Curr Gene Ther. 2020;20(4):285-288. doi: 10.2174/1566523220999200820172829.

Authors

Jingwen Li¹, Xinyi Wang¹, Na Li², Ying Jiang³, Heqing Huang⁴, Tao Wang¹, Zhicheng Lin⁵, Nian Xiong^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
² Wuhan Red Cross Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China
³ Emergency Department, Wuhan Red Cross Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei, China
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, People's Hospital of Dongxihu District, Wuhan, Hubei, China;
⁵ Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurogenomics, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; Mesenchymal stem cells; immune; regulate; repair; secretome.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 / therapy*
COVID-19 / virology
Feasibility Studies
Humans
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
Mesenchymal Stem Cells / cytology*
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants 2016YFC1306600 (to NX) and 2018YFC1314700 (to NX) from the National Key R&D Program of China, grants 81873782 (to NX) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant 2016CFB624 from Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province (to NX), Grant 2017050304010278 from The Youth Science and technology morning light program of Wuhan City (to NX), 2018 Hubei medical research project WJ2019F030 (to NX), 2018 Wuhan medical research project S201802140011 (to NX), 2018 Wuhan Young and Middle-aged medical Talents Program (to NX) and 2017 Hubei provincial Party Committee Organization Department the second batch of Hubei youth elite development plan (to NX).