Current Landscape of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in COVID Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

TL;DR

This paper reviews the potential of mesenchymal stem cell therapy as a promising treatment for COVID-19 induced ARDS, highlighting recent clinical trials, benefits, challenges, and future research directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of MSC therapy's mechanisms, recent clinical trial outcomes, and discusses future research avenues for COVID-19 ARDS treatment.

Findings

MSCs reduce inflammation and improve lung function in ARDS.

Preclinical and phase 1 trials show promising results.

MSCs are accessible and have low immunogenicity.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 outbreak in Chinas Hubei area in late 2019 has now created a global pandemic that has spread to over 150 countries. In most people, COVID 19 is a respiratory infection that produces fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Patients with severe COVID 19 may develop ARDS. MSCs can come from a number of places, such as bone marrow, umbilical cord, and adipose tissue. Because of their easy accessibility and low immunogenicity, MSCs were often used in animal and clinical research. In recent studies, MSCs have been shown to decrease inflammation, enhance lung permeability, improve microbial and alveolar fluid clearance, and accelerate lung epithelial and endothelial repair. Furthermore, MSC-based therapy has shown promising outcomes in preclinical studies and phase 1 clinical trials in sepsis and ARDS. In this paper, we posit the therapeutic strategies using MSC and dissect how and why MSC therapy is a potential treatment option for COVID 19 induced ARDS. We cite numerous promising clinical trials, elucidate the potential advantages of MSC therapy for COVID 19 ARDS patients, examine the detriments of this therapeutic strategy and suggest possibilities of subsequent research.