Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in the Management of COVID19-Associated Lung Injury: A Review on Publications, Clinical Trials and Patent Landscape.

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic situation forced the scientific community to explore all the possibilities from various fields, and so far we have seen a lot of surprises, eureka moments and disappointments. One of the approaches from the cellular therapists was exploiting the immunomodulatory and regenerative potential of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), more so of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs)-particularly exosomes, in order to alleviate the cytokine storm and regenerate the damaged lung tissues. Unlike MSCs, the EVs are easier to store, deliver, and are previously shown to be as effective as MSCs, yet less immunogenic. These features attracted the attention of many and thus led to a tremendous increase in publications, clinical trials and patent applications. This review presents the current landscape of the field and highlights some interesting findings on MSC-derived EVs in the context of COVID-19, including in silico, in vitro, in vivo and case reports. The data strongly suggests the potential of MSC-derived EVs as a therapeutic regime for the management of acute lung injury and associated complications in COVID-19 and beyond.

SARS-Cov-2 Detection by Quantitative PCR: A Technical Note on Concepts, Practical Considerations and Safety Aspects for Beginners

A cluster of viral pneumonia cases termed as Covid-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was reported in China in December 2019 and has quickly crossed almost all the international borders. Following the World Health Organization's key policy on dealing with such health emergency situation, all countries including India are strictly implementing the T3 principles - test, treat and track. Testing invariably seen as the most important element in controlling the rapid spread of the ongoing pandemic. Given the highly contagious nature of the virus, the medical community is in race against time to come up with quick but effective diagnostic tools. While a variety of diagnostics tools, classical as well as newly introduced, are available, the real-time or quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) based diagnosis has become the widely accepted PCR approach. With our experience in ongoing Covid-19 testing, in this technical note, we present basic concepts, practical consideration and safety aspects involved in SARS-CoV-2 testing by qPCR for the beginners. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Trends in Biomaterials & Artificial Organs is the property of Society for Biomaterials & Artificial Organs, India and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)