The role of mesenchymal stem cells in COVID-19 treatment

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created a sense of global panic and the medical community started to search for rapid answers. Pharmaceuticals and research labs across the world are racing to find vaccines and treatments for the new coronavirus, using a variety of different technological ways. With Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), it is observed that asymptomatic symptoms turn out to be severe and fatal. By raising pyrexia, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multiple organ failure are observed to develop which are not only associated with coronavirus. The treatment of the virus and the systemic inflammatory response it causes are also very important. The rapid response to infection has been well defined and comprises a complex interaction of cytokine storm, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and pathologic coagulation. Since the effective therapies are missing and immunological treatments may be deficient, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), by reason of their potent immunomodulatory ability, can have useful results in order to prevent the cytokine storm and reduce morbidity and mortality for COVID-19. The aim of this article is to discuss the potential effect of MSCs types in COVID-19 infection without definite treatment.