Title:Clinical Consideration for Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Treatment of COVID-19
Volume: 28
Issue: 36
Author(s): Kang-Hsi Wu*, Yu-Hua Chao, Te-Fu Weng and Ju-Pi Li
Affiliation:
- Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical
University, Taichung, Taiwan
Keywords:
Mesenchymal stem cells, COVID-19, hyperinflammation, immunomodulation, clinical consideration, treatment.
Abstract: COVID-19, which has strongly affected the 21st century, is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS)-CoV-2. The emergence of viral variants has rendered even vaccinated people prone to infection;
thus, completely eradicating COVID-19 may be impossible. COVID-19 causes hyperinflammation, leading to
organ damage and even death. SARS-CoV-2 infects not only the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome,
but also the extrapulmonary organs. Not all patients with COVID-19 respond adequately to treatments
with antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore, new treatments are urgently needed. Mesenchymal stem
cells (MSCs) exhibit immunomodulatory activity and are used to safely and effectively treat various immune
disorders. Evidence has indicated the efficacy of MSCs against COVID-19. However, the safety and efficacy of
MSCs must be probed further. For this reason, we explored key clinical challenges associated with MSC therapy
for COVID-19, such as sources, administration routes, cell dosage, treatment timepoint, and virus reactivation.
We identified several challenges that must be addressed before MSCs can be clinically applied.
