Mesenchymal stem cells and COVID-19

Vujic, D.; Simic, M.

With the appearance of the first cases of COVID-19 infection, which had a severe clinical picture accompanied by respiratory insufficiency, as well as multiorgan dysfunction, mesenchymal stem cells became the subject of intensive research. The main cause of tissue and organ damage in patients with COVID-19 infection is thought to be a cytokine storm, which is the result of an imbalance in the regulation of the host immune system. Previous studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells have an immunomodulatory effect and can prevent and reduce the cytokine storm triggered by the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Numerous clinical studies on the use of mesenchymal stem cells in patients with a severe clinical picture of COVID-19 are underway. Undoubtedly, cell therapy could be of great importance in the treatment of patients with a severe clinical picture of COVID-19, but it takes time to consider the efficacy and safety of such therapy, which is possible only through controlled multicenter clinical studies.