Title : Characterization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and their use in the treatment of COVID-19
Abstract:
Worldwide more than 49 million individuals have been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the corona virus causing COVID-19. From the World Health Organization, as of November 6, 2020, a little over 1.2 million deaths have been reported globally and yet to date, there are no current specific drugs or vaccines available to cure patients with COVID-19 infection. Hence, there is a large unmet need for a safe and effective treatment for COVID-19 infected patients, especially the severe cases. A proposed mechanism of severe Corona virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a deregulated innate immune response to an infection with SARS-CoV-2 resulting in cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Mesencymal stem cells (MSC) have been shown to have immunomodulatory effects and may attenuate the CRS. We present 11 cases of severe COVID-19 pneumonia treated with umbilical cord-derived, non-HLA matched MSC administered as four separate intravenous doses, 5×105 cells/kg. Clinical symptoms, measurements of inflammatory mediators and cytokines (IL6, IL10, IFN-γ, TNF-α), and radiological results were recorded for each patient. Although there were large variations in baseline cytokine pattern elevation, all cytokine levels decreased in all patients after the 4 infusions of UC-MSC, albeit in different magnitudes. Seven patients eventually improved in terms of need for supplemental oxygen and/or mechanical ventilation, clinical symptoms, resolution of pneumonia on imaging, and were discharged. Three patients expired, 1 of whom expired before completing the full course of therapy. This limited series of patients showed that UC-MSC therapy down regulates the cytokine storm and may improve clinical status in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia without any infusion related reaction.
Keywords: MSCs, uMSC, QA, Potency Assays, COVID-19, pneumonia.
Audience Take Away:
- Discuss the history and properties of MSCs
- Discuss rationale for use of uMSC in COVID-19
- Quality Control
- Potency Assays
- Present institutional Protocol for use of uMSC in COVID-19 pneumonia
- Present local experience and outcome of patients treated with uMSC with COVID-19
