ABSTRACT
Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 carry the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which involves multiple systems and organs with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as the most common complication, largely due to cytokine storms or dysregulated immunity. As such, there are many severe patients with complications such as cytokine storm syndrome (CSS), who have a high fatality rate. Neither specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs nor vaccines exist currently. Current treatment relies mainly on self-recovery through patients' immune function. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a kind of multipotent tissue stem cells, which have powerful anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory functions, inhibiting the cytokine storms. In addition, MSCs have a strong ability to repair tissue damage and reduce the risk of severe complications such as acute lung injury and ARDS, and hopefully, reduce the fatality rate in these patients. There are several clinical types of research completed for treating COVID-19 with MSCs, all reporting restoration of T cells and clinical safety. Here we discuss the clinical prospect and conclude the therapeutic effects and potential mechanism for MSCs in treating COVID-19.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/therapy , Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods , Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/virology , Feasibility Studies , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Facing the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), most vulnerable individuals are seniors, especially those with comorbidities. More attention needs to been paid to the COVID-19 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is the top age-related neurodegenerative disease. OBJECTIVE: Since it is unclear whether AD patients are prone to COVID-19 infection and progression to severe stages, we report for the first time a retrospective analysis of the clinical characteristics of AD patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of the clinical data of 19 AD patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, compared with 23 non-AD COVID-19 patients admitted at the same time to our hospital. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and treatment data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Between AD patients and non-AD patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, the pneumonia severity was not significantly different. AD patients had a higher clustering onset than non-AD patients. The median duration from symptom onset to hospitalization were shorter in AD patients than non-AD patients, indicating the former were sent to the hospital by their family or from nursing home earlier than the later. The median duration from hospitalization to discharge seemed shorter in AD patients than non-AD patients. Dementia patients seemed less likely to report fatigue. It is noticed that more AD patients might have pericardial effusion than the non-AD patients. CONCLUSION: AD patients with COVID-19 were in milder conditions with a better prognosis than non-AD patients. AD patients who had adequate access to healthcare showed resilience to COVID-19 with shorter hospital stays.