Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as a Potential Therapeutic Strategy in COVID-19 Patients: Literature Research

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Abstract

In 2019, an outbreak of an unknown coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – responsible for COVID-19 disease, was first reported in China, and evolved into a pandemic of huge dimensions and raised serious concerns for global health. The number of critical cases continues to increase dramatically, while vaccines and specific treatments are not yet available. There are several strategies currently being studied for the treatment of adverse symptoms of COVID-19, that encompass Acute Lung Injury (ALI)/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), extensive pulmonary inflammation, cytokine storm, and pulmonary edema, due to virus-induced pneumonia. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are at the origin of new revolutionary treatments, which may come to be applied in such as Regenerative Medicine, Immunotherapy, Tissue Engineering, and Cell and Molecular Biology due to immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity. MSCs have already been studied with positive outcomes for other lung pathologies, thus representing and being identified as an important opportunity for the treatment of COVID-19. It has recently been shown that these cells allow hopeful and effective therapies for serious or critical COVID-19, minimizing its adverse symptoms. In this study we will analyze the MSCs, their origin, differentiation, and therapeutic potential, making a bridge with the COVID-19 disease and its characteristics, as a potential therapeutic strategy but also reporting recent studies where these cell-based therapies were used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

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Most cited references 66

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Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia

Qun Li, Xuhua Guan, Peng Wu … (2020)

Abstract Background The initial cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)–infected pneumonia (NCIP) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 and January 2020. We analyzed data on the first 425 confirmed cases in Wuhan to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of NCIP. Methods We collected information on demographic characteristics, exposure history, and illness timelines of laboratory-confirmed cases of NCIP that had been reported by January 22, 2020. We described characteristics of the cases and estimated the key epidemiologic time-delay distributions. In the early period of exponential growth, we estimated the epidemic doubling time and the basic reproductive number. Results Among the first 425 patients with confirmed NCIP, the median age was 59 years and 56% were male. The majority of cases (55%) with onset before January 1, 2020, were linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, as compared with 8.6% of the subsequent cases. The mean incubation period was 5.2 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1 to 7.0), with the 95th percentile of the distribution at 12.5 days. In its early stages, the epidemic doubled in size every 7.4 days. With a mean serial interval of 7.5 days (95% CI, 5.3 to 19), the basic reproductive number was estimated to be 2.2 (95% CI, 1.4 to 3.9). Conclusions On the basis of this information, there is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019. Considerable efforts to reduce transmission will be required to control outbreaks if similar dynamics apply elsewhere. Measures to prevent or reduce transmission should be implemented in populations at risk. (Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and others.)

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Minimal criteria for defining multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells. The International Society for Cellular Therapy position statement.

M Dominici, K Le Blanc, I Mueller … (2006)

The considerable therapeutic potential of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) has generated markedly increasing interest in a wide variety of biomedical disciplines. However, investigators report studies of MSC using different methods of isolation and expansion, and different approaches to characterizing the cells. Thus it is increasingly difficult to compare and contrast study outcomes, which hinders progress in the field. To begin to address this issue, the Mesenchymal and Tissue Stem Cell Committee of the International Society for Cellular Therapy proposes minimal criteria to define human MSC. First, MSC must be plastic-adherent when maintained in standard culture conditions. Second, MSC must express CD105, CD73 and CD90, and lack expression of CD45, CD34, CD14 or CD11b, CD79alpha or CD19 and HLA-DR surface molecules. Third, MSC must differentiate to osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondroblasts in vitro. While these criteria will probably require modification as new knowledge unfolds, we believe this minimal set of standard criteria will foster a more uniform characterization of MSC and facilitate the exchange of data among investigators.

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The cytokine storm and COVID‐19

Biying Hu, Shaoying Huang, Lianghong Yin (2020)

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), which began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 has caused a large global pandemic and poses a serious threat to public health. More than four million cases of COVID‐19, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), have been confirmed as of May 11, 2020. SARS‐CoV‐2 is a highly pathogenic and transmissible coronavirus that primarily spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. A growing body of clinical data suggests that a cytokine storm is associated with COVID‐19 severity and is also a crucial cause of death from COVID‐19. In the absence of antivirals and vaccines for COVID‐19, there is an urgent need to understand the cytokine storm in COVID‐19. Here, we have reviewed the current understanding of the features of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the pathological features, pathophysiological mechanisms, and treatments of the cytokine storm induced by COVID‐19. Additionally, we suggest that the identification and treatment of the cytokine storm are important components for rescuing patients with severe COVID‐19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Author and article information

Contributors

André Coelho: URI : http://loop.frontiersin.org/people/1136170/overview

Rui Damásio Alvites: URI : http://loop.frontiersin.org/people/667294/overview

Mariana Vieira Branquinho: URI : http://loop.frontiersin.org/people/1135822/overview

Susana G. Guerreiro: URI : http://loop.frontiersin.org/people/500940/overview

Ana Colette Maurício: URI : http://loop.frontiersin.org/people/537389/overview

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Front Cell Dev Biol

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Front Cell Dev Biol

Journal ID (publisher-id): Front. Cell Dev. Biol.

Title: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Publisher: Frontiers Media S.A.

ISSN (Electronic): 2296-634X

Publication date (Electronic): 19 November 2020

Publication date Collection: 2020

Publication date PMC-release: 19 November 2020

Volume: 8

Electronic Location Identifier: 602647

Affiliations

[1] ¹Biotecnologia Medicinal, Escola Superior de Saúde do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto , Porto, Portugal

[2] ²Departamento de Clínicas Veterinárias, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto , Porto, Portugal

[3] ³Centro de Estudos de Ciência Animal, Instituto de Ciências, Tecnologias e Agroambiente da Universidade do Porto , Porto, Portugal

[4] ⁴Departamento de Biomedicina, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto , Porto, Portugal

[5] ⁵Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto , Porto, Portugal

[6] ⁶Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto , Porto, Portugal

Author notes

Edited by: Susana Solá, University of Lisbon, Portugal

Reviewed by: Bruce Alan Bunnell, University of North Texas Health Science Center, United States; Robert Chunhua Zhao, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (CAMS), China

*Correspondence: Ana Colette Maurício, acmauricio@ 123456icbas.up.pt ; ana.colette@ 123456hotmail.com

This article was submitted to Stem Cell Research, a section of the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Article

DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.602647

PMC ID: 7710935

PubMed ID: 33330498

SO-VID: a5ceb0a7-ee22-4808-afd4-b7902a7f7aba

License:

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

History

Date received : 03 September 2020

Date accepted : 30 October 2020

Page count

Figures: 3, Tables: 1, Equations: 0, References: 67, Pages: 13, Words: 0

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