Presentation by Soumyaa Thakur

Reviewed by Jillian Pontanares, Vi Lam

The pandemic that took everyone by shock taught the entire world about the importance of research. In this short video, I explain the use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) as a potential therapeutic measure to battle the SARS-CoV-2 virus. MSCs form an easily available and well researched aspect that have shown promising effects previously. This video explains, in depth, the benefits of using MSCs as a therapeutic measure and also the mode of action MSCs in the body of an infected individual.

Future Prospects:

More trials need to be carried out to confirm the therapeutic effects of the stem cells. Trial subjects must be observed for a long period of time to check for the occurence long term effects.

References:

1. https://cryobank.ua/en/news-en/how-stem-cells-combat-coronavirus/

2. https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/120258/experimental-stem-cell-therapy-trial-for-covid-19-initiated/

3. https://www.technologynetworks.com/biopharma/articles/exploring-the-utility-of-stem-cell-therapy-for-covid-19-334068

4. Ludwig, S., & Zarbock, A. (2020). Coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2: A Brief Overview. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 131(1), 93-96. doi: 10.1213/ane.0000000000004845  

5. European Society of cardiology. (2020). ESC Guidance for the Diagnosis and Management of CV Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic, 1–115.

6. Rajarshi, K., Chatterjee, A., & Ray, S. (2020). Combating COVID-19 with mesenchymal stem cell therapy. Biotechnology Reports, 26, e00467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2020.e00467

7. Sengupta V, Sengupta S, Lazo A, Woods P, Nolan A, Bremer N. Exosomes Derived from Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Treatment for Severe COVID-19. Stem Cells Dev. 2020;29(12):747-754. doi:10.1089/scd.2020.0080

8. Moll G, Drzeniek N, Kamhieh-Milz J, Geissler S, Volk HD, Reinke P. MSC Therapies for COVID-19: Importance of Patient Coagulopathy, Thromboprophylaxis, Cell Product Quality and Mode of Delivery for Treatment Safety and Efficacy. Front Immunol. 2020;11:1091. Published 2020 May 19. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.01091.

9. Bamba C, Singh SP, Choudhury S. Can mesenchymal stem cell therapy be the interim management of COVID-19?. Drug Discov Ther. 2020;14(3):139-142. doi:10.5582/ddt.2020.03032.

10. Cao X. COVID-19: immunopathology and its implications for therapy. Nat Rev Immunol. 2020;20(5):269-270. doi:10.1038/s41577-020-0308-3.

11. Yen BL, Yen ML, Wang LT, Liu KJ, Sytwu HK. Current status of mesenchymal stem cell therapy for immune/inflammatory lung disorders: Gleaning insights for possible use in COVID-19 [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 11]. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2020;10.1002/sctm.20-0186. doi:10.1002/sctm.20-0186