Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of patients with COVID-19

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has catastrophically threatened public health worldwide and presented great challenges for clinicians. To date, no specific drugs are available against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) appear to be a promising cell therapy owing to their potent modulatory effects on reducing and healing inflammation-induced lung and other tissue injuries. The present pilot study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential and safety of MSCs isolated from healthy cord tissues in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. METHODS: Twelve patients with COVID-19 treated with MSCs plus conventional therapy and 13 treated with conventional therapy alone (control) were included. The efficacy of MSC infusion was evaluated by changes in oxygenation index, clinical chemistry and hematology tests, immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, and pulmonary computerized tomography (CT) imaging. The safety of MSC infusion was evaluated based on the occurrence of allergic reactions and serious adverse events. RESULTS: The MSC-treated group demonstrated significantly improved oxygenation index. The area of pulmonary inflammation decreased significantly, and the CT number in the inflammatory area tended to be restored. Decreased IgM levels were also observed after MSC therapy. Laboratory biomarker levels at baseline and after therapy showed no significant changes in either the MSC-treated or control group. CONCLUSION: Intravenous infusion of MSCs in patients with COVID-19 was effective and well tolerated. Further studies involving a large cohort or randomized controlled trials are warranted.

Clinical presentation of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in adults is less typical than in children

OBJECTIVE: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in adults is largely underdiagnosed. To improve the rate and accuracy of diagnosis in adults, the clinical and laboratory characteristics of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis were analyzed in and compared between adults and children in a Chinese cohort. METHOD: Data from 50 hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis patients, including 34 adults and 16 children who fulfilled the 2004 hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis diagnostic criteria, were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: 1. Etiological factors: The proportion of Epstein-Barr virus infection was lower in adults compared with children, whereas fungal infection and natural killer/T cell lymphoma were more frequent in adults (P<0.05). 2. Clinical manifestations and laboratory findings: Over 90% of adults and pediatric patients presented with fever, thrombocytopenia and high serum ferritin levels. However, in adults, the proportions of hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and jaundice were much lower (P<0.01) than in children, and serous cavity effusion was more frequent in adult patients (P<0.05). More children had hemoglobin <90 g/L, total bilirubin >19 mmol/L and lactate dehydrogenase >500 U/L compared with adults (P<0.05). 3. The time interval from the onset of symptoms to clinical diagnosis was significantly shorter in pediatric patients than in adults (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Certain clinical features were different between the two groups. The less characteristic clinical presentation of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in adults may make the disease more difficult to diagnose. Our findings suggest that hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis should be considered when an adult patient presents with the above-mentioned symptoms.

Identification of therapeutic target genes with DNA microarray in multiple myeloma cell line treated by IKKβ/NF-κB inhibitor

PURPOSE: To explore the mechanism of resistance to IKKβ inhibitor in multiple myeloma (MM) cells and uncover novel therapeutic targets for MM. METHODS: We downloaded the microarray data (GSE8476) from GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) database. The data were derived from the human MM cells lines (L363 cells) treated with IKKβ inhibitor MLN120b (MLN) for eight, 12 and 24 hours. Furthermore, we applied the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) and Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer (EASE) database to construct protein-protein interaction networks and identified over-represented pathway among DEGs (differentially expressed genes). RESULTS: We obtained 108 DGEs in 8h vs. 12h group and 101 ones in 8h vs. 24h group. Most of DGEs were found to be involved in biological regulation. The significant pathways were Ig A pathway and the CAMs pathways. In addition, 24 common DGEs were found in the networks of the two groups such as ICAM 3 and SELL. CONCLUSION: Intercellular adhesion molecule 3 and SELL may be potential targets in multiple myeloma treatment in the future. .