An unfortunate emergence of a new virus SARS-CoV-2, causing a disease known as COVID-19, has spread all around the globe and has caused a pandemic. It primarily affects the respiratory tract and lungs in some cases causing severe organ damage and pneumonia due to overwhelming immune responses. Clinical reports show that the most commons symptoms are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, along with several other symptoms. It is thought that an immense cytokine dysregulation in COVID-19 patients is caused following the virus infection. Notably, if patients present with pre-existing specific comorbidities like diabetes or high blood pressure, rates of COVID-19 induced complications and deaths are escalated. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has been shown to alleviate pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) symptoms, through their immunomodulatory activities in COVID-19 patients. Although more research studies and clinical trial results are needed to elucidate the exact mechanism by which MSCs provide relief to COVID-19 infected patients. Results from clinical trials are encouraging as patients treated with MSCs, regain lung functions and have restored levels of cytokines and trophic factors underscoring the fact that stem cell therapy can be, at least, a complementary therapy to alleviate sufferings in COVID-19 patients. This review discusses the possible therapeutic uses of MSCs for treating COVID-19.
Graphical Abstract
Background:
Deteriorations in tissues and decline in organ functions, due to chronic diseases or with
advancing age or sometimes due to infections or injuries, can severely compromise the quality of life of an individual.
Regenerative medicine, a field of medical research focuses on replacing non-functional or dead cells or
repairing or regenerating tissues and organs to restore normal functions of an impaired organ. Approaches used in
regenerative therapy for achieving the objective employ a number of means which include soluble biomolecules,
stem cell transplants, tissue engineering, gene therapy and reprogramming of cells according to target tissue
types. Stem cells transplant and tissue regeneration methods for treating various diseases have rapidly grown in
usage over the past decades or so. There are different types of stem cells such as mesenchymal, hematopoietic,
embryonic, mammary, intestinal, endothelial, neural, olfactory, neural crest, testicular and induced pluripotent
stem cells.
Methods:
This review covers the recent advances in tissue regeneration and highlights the application of stem cell
transplants in treating many life-threatening diseases or in improving quality of life.
Results:
Remarkable progress in stem cell research has established that the cell-based therapy could be an option
for treating diseases which could not be cured by conventional medical means till recent. Stem cells play major
roles in regenerative medicine with its exceptional characteristics of self-renewal capacity and potential to differentiate
into almost all types of cells of a body.
Conclusion:
Vast number of reports on preclinical and clinical application of stem cells revealed its vital role in
disease management and many pharmacological industries around the globe working to achieve effective stem
cell based products.
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