Stem cell therapy in COVID-19: Pooled evidence from SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and ARDS: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2, which majorly affects the lungs and respiratory tract is thought due to dysregulation of the immune system which causes an immense imbalance of the cytokines. However, till now no standard treatment has been developed in treating the disease. On the other hand, it becomes important to prevent the acute respiratory tract infection due to COVID-19 which is the most dangerous phase leading to increased mortality. Hence this systematic review has been framed by pooling the available data of the use of stem cells in SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and ARDS. METHODS: 6 literature databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Clinicaltrials.gov, and Clinical trial registry of India) were searched for relevant studies till 10th August 2020 using keywords stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, cell therapy, SARS CoV-2, SARS Coronavirus, Coronavirus 2, COVID-19, nCoV-19, Novel Coronavirus, MERS CoV, ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome. RESULTS: The observations of this systematic review suggest capability of MSCs in reducing the systemic inflammation and protecting against SARS-CoV-2 as evidenced by the available clinical data. CONCLUSION: MSCs can overcome the clinical challenges currently faced by SARS-CoV-2 infected patients, specifically who are seriously ill and not responding to conventional therapies. Though the available clinical data is motivating, still predicting the therapeutic potential of MSCs will be too early in COVID-19. Hence, further studies in a larger cohort of patients becomes a prerequisite to validate their potential efficacy.

Clinically relevant cell culture models and their significance in isolation, pathogenesis, vaccine development, repurposing and screening of new drugs for SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: In-Vitro/Cellular evidence is the backbone and vital proof of concept during the development of novel therapeutics as well as drugs repurposing against COVID-19. Choosing an ideal in-vitro model is vital as the virus entry is through ACE2, CD147, and TMPRSS2 dependant and very specific. In this regard, this is the first systematic review addressing the importance of specific cell lines used as potential in-vitro models in the isolation, pathogenesis, and therapeutics for SARS-COV-2. METHODS: We searched 17 literature databases with appropriate keywords, and identified 1173 non-duplicate studies. In the present study, 71 articles are included after a careful, thorough screening of the titles and their abstracts for possible inclusion using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria (PRISMA Guidelines). RESULTS: In the current study, we compiled cell culture-based studies for SARS-CoV-2 and found the best compatible In-Vitro models for SARS-CoV-2 (Vero, VeroE6, HEK293 as well as its variants, Huh-7, Calu-3 2B4, and Caco2). Among other essential cell lines used include LLC-MK2, MDCKII, BHK-21, HepG2, A549,T cell leukemia (MT-2), stems cells based cell line DYR0100for differentiation assays, and embryo-specific NIH3T3 cell line for vaccine production. CONCLUSION: The Present study provides a detailed summary of all the drugs/compounds screened for drug repurposing and discovery purpose using the in-vitro models for SARS-CoV-2 along with isolation, pathogenesis and vaccine production. This study also suggests that after careful evaluation of all the cell line based studies, Kidney cells (VeroE6, HEK293 along with their clones), liver Huh-7cells, respiratory Calu-3 cells, and intestinal Caco-2 are the most widely used in-vitro models for SARS-CoV-2.

Molecular diagnosis of COVID-19 in different biologic matrix, their diagnostic validity and clinical relevance: A systematic review.

Due to COVID 19 outbreak many studies are being conducted for therapeutic strategies and vaccines but detection methods play an important role in the containment of the disease. Hence, this systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the molecular detection techniques in COVID-19. For framing the systematic review 6 literature databases (PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar) were searched for relevant studies and articles were screened for relevant content till 25th April 2020. Observations from this systematic review reveal the utility of RT-PCR with serological testing as one such method cannot correlate with accurate results. Availability of point of care devices do not conform to sensitivity and specificity in comparison to the conventional methods due to lack of clinical investigations. Pivotal aim of molecular and serological research is the development of detection methods that can support the clinical decision making of patients suspected with SARS-CoV-2. However, none of the methods were 100% sensitive and specific; hence additional studies are required to overcome the challenges addressed here. We hope that the present article with its observations and suggestions will assist the researchers to realize this vision in future.