Application of MSCs therapy in COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The year 2019 ended with the official report of an unknown pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Subsequently, this novel pneumonia was named COVID-19, which mainly attacks the respiratory system, causing severe damage. Although vaccination has relieved the stress of combating pandemics around the world after one year, there are still unknowns and challenges that come with hope. In this regard, stem cell therapy has been proposed as an effective approach to treating COVID-19. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can potentially be used as a hopeful tool in the cell-based therapy due to their ability to regenerate and regulate immune response. Although research and clinical results have shown encouraging achievement in patients who were treated with MSCs, drawbacks and challenges still exist in the face of new opportunities. This review aims to introduce the challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine and the possible clinical use of MSC-based therapy. Through analysis of COVID-19 and MSC-based therapy, the author aims to find the possibilities and feasibility of using MSCs to treat acute respiratory diseases, such as COVID. As a result, the author finds that MSC treatment is very practical, and it shows significant potential to treat COVID-19. © 2023 SPIE.