Stem cell treatment reduces the risk of death of Covid-19 patients, quickening their recovery at the same time. In particular, the efficacy and the safety of mesenchymal stem cell infusions emerged from a study published on Stem Cells Translational Medicine by a team of researchers led by Camillo Ricordi, director of the Diabetes Research Institute and Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (Usa).
The Study
Ricordi and collaborators treated 24 Covid-19 patients hospitalized at University Tower or Jackson Memorial Hospital. All the patients developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome before the treatment; each received two infusions of 100 million umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells at day 0 and day 3, or of placebo.
One month after the treatment, 100% of stem cell-treated patients younger than 85 years old survived. In general, patient survival was 91% in the stem cell group versus 42% in the placebo group, and time for recovery was faster among stem cell-treated participants. More than 50% of patients who received the mesenchymal stem cell infusions recovered and went home within 2 weeks after the second treatment. By day 30, more than 80% of the stem cell-treated participants recovered versus 37% of the placebo-treated patients.
Experts’ comment
As stated by Giacomo Lanzoni, principal author of the study, these results «confirm the powerful anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. These cells have clearly inhibited the “cytokine storm”, a hallmark of severe Covid-19». And according to Ricordi «these stem cells could be an ideal treatment option for severe Covid-19», a treatment that «requires only an intravenous infusion, like a blood transfusion. It’s like smart bomb technology in the lung to restore normal immune response and reverse life-threatening complications».
«The lung of severely ill Covid-19 patients undergoes respiratory distress syndrome», Giuseppe Mucci, CEO of Bioscience Institute, explains. «Mesenchymal stem cells, given intravenously, home here, where they can exert their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, and regenerative functions, helping to recover from the severe form of the disease».
Cryopreserverd stem cells: an investment for your family’s future
As explained by Ricordi, «the umbilical cord contains progenitor stem cells (…) that can be expanded and provide therapeutic doses for over 10,000 patients from a single umbilical cord. It’s a unique resource of cells that are under investigation for their possible use in cell therapy applications, anytime you have to modulate immune response or inflammatory response». Bioscience Institute is a leader company in umbilical cord cryopreservation. «In addition to mesenchymal stem cells, the umbilical cord contains also hematopoietic stem cells, whose potentiality are well known and already exploited in the clinical practice», Mucci adds. «Moreover, it is a source of Natural Killer (NK) cells, white blood cells that received particular attention from oncologists and immunologists in the last 10 years. They play a role in the autoimmune response, and can kill cancer cells. Several clinical studies evaluated NK cells in cancer patients treatment. Together with mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells, umbilical cord NK cells highlight the usefulness of umbilical cord cryopreservation at birth».
Bioscience Institute offer the possibility to cryopreserve both adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and the valuable stem cells in umbilical cord. The procedures are simple and painless, and, in the case of the umbilical cord, do not interfere with the delivery. Cryopreserved stem cells represent an investment for the future of your family. «We are already using stem cells in the treatment of lung conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, also known as Copd» Mucci highlights. «Their safety and efficacy are confirmed by Ricordi’s paper».
For more information on stem cell cryopreservation, please visit stem cell banking webpage or call us at +971 (0)4 375 7220.
Resources
- EurekAlert! University of Miami leads groundbreaking trial for COVID-19 treatment. News release 5 jan 2021. 01/07/2021
- Lanzoni G et al. Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome: A double-blind, phase 1/2a, randomized controlled trial. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2021 Jan 5. doi: 10.1002/sctm.20-0472
