An international team of researchers has joined forces to combat COVID-19 using a stem cell technique that has so far yielded good results in the first clinical trials in China.
The study was led by Dr. Kunlin Jin, who has 20 years of experience in the knowledge and application of stem cell therapies, and who is dedicated to developing stem cell therapies to combat strokes.
Instead of focusing on finding an effective drug to treat COVID-19, as many laboratories are doing, Jin and his team opted to test their specialty, which, on the other hand, is an innovative therapy that had already shown promising results. for the treatment of other diseases, such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease or HIV infection.
Jin and his colleagues set out to test whether stem cells could be used to boost a person’s immune system to prevent COVID-19 pneumonia . During the investigation, they used the WeChat messaging app to establish communications between their lab at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center in Fort Worth and other experts in China.
According to Dr. Jin, the first findings are promising, and this international effort should translate into more long-term studies: “Our study showed that the clinical intravenous introduction of human stem cells is a safe and efficient approach for the treatment of patients with pneumonia. by COVID-19, even in elderly patients with severe pneumonia. “
Method
As part of the clinical trial, stem cells were injected intravenously into the bloodstream of seven seriously ill patients in Beijing. Three patients were injected with a placebo.
The seven patients who received stem cells were treated successfully and were discharged from the hospital within 14 days. Of the patients who received the placebo, one died, another worsened, and the third had acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Of course, before stem cell therapies can be used in Europe and America to combat the virus, there would have to be clinical trials in these countries and the prior approval of the competent bodies.
Why COVID-19 can be deadly
When coronavirus attacks, it can cause a virus-induced flood of cytokines in the body, a term used when the immune system fires so high that fluids flood the lungs and tissues are damaged. This is believed to be one of the main reasons why COVID-19 pneumonia can be fatal to an individual – this ‘storm’ of activity trying to fight the virus.
Finding antivirals for COVID-19 patients is a difficult task. There are no specific drugs or vaccines available to cure patients with COVID-19 infection. Therefore, there is a great unmet need for a safe and effective treatment for coronavirus-infected patients, especially severe cases.
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Referencias:
Zikuan Leng et al, ‘Transplantation of ACE2- Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves the Outcome of Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia’, Aging and disease (2020). DOI: 10.14336/AD.2020.0228Â
