Scientists from around the world have been rushing to develop more effective treatments for COVID-19 in recent months. Some of the most promising clinical trials have used stem cell-based therapies to alleviate COVID symptoms.
CellTrials.org recently published a list of all of the clinical trials which are testing the use of stem cell-based therapies. The data indicates that there were 111 new clinical trials in the first half of 2020.
Almost half of these trials (48%) were using perinatal stem cells, which are obtained immediately before or after birth. Most perinatal stem cells are multipotent, which means they can differentiate into the cell types needed to support the growing foetus.
Many trials focused on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are powerful multipotent stem cells which have the capacity to differentiate into several different cell types. They also have the ability to reduce inflammation, which is particularly useful in the treatment of COVID-19.
Where Types of Perinatal Stem Cells are being Used in the Clinical Trials?
The perinatal stem cells used in these trials come from one of four sources:
- Umbilical cord blood
- Umbilical cord tissue
- Placental blood and tissue
- Amniotic tissue and fluid
The umbilical cord blood is a particularly useful source of perinatal stem cells, as it can be obtained from material that is usually discarded after a child is born. It contains both hematopoietic (blood cell-forming) stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
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MSCs are currently the subject of dozens of clinical trials looking for treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and now — COVID-19.
Researchers believe that MSCs may be particularly useful for treating Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a type of respiratory failure which occurs when there is widespread inflammation in the lungs and is responsible for many of COVID-19 deaths.
MSCs have the ability promote tissue repair and reduce inflammation, which would potentially prevent deaths caused by ARDS. At least 20 of the current research projects are looking at the use of MSCs. Researchers hope that they will have several viable treatments within the next few months.
Source: COVID-19 and stem cells: clinical trial update
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