Mesenchymal stem cells in the fight against viruses: Face to face with the invisible enemy.

The relative ease of isolation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from different tissues coupled with their culture expansion in vitro and their differentiation capacity to mesodermal, endodermal and ectodermal lineages have made these cells attractive for a large number of therapeutic applications. In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the utilization of MSCs in diverse clinical indications both in animal models and human clinical trials. However, the potential of MSCs to control or treat viral diseases is still in its infancy. In this study, we report quantitative data on the MSC-based clinical trials over the last ten years as they appear on the online database of clinical research studies from US National Institutes of Health. In particular, we provide comprehensive review of either completed or ongoing clinical trials using MSCs for virus-associated diseases focusing on HIV, hepatitis B virus and COVID-19 virus.

COVID-19: Test, Test and Test.

A new virus was identified in late December 2019 when China reported the first cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, and a global COVID-19 pandemic followed. The world was not late to respond, with a number of sweeping measures ranging from social distancing protocols, stringent hygienic practices, and nation-wide lockdowns, as well as COVID-19 testing campaigns in an attempt to prevent the transmission of the disease and contain the pandemic. Currently, different types of diagnostic testing have been adopted globally, such as nucleic acid detection tests, immunological tests and imaging approaches; however, real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the "gold standard" for detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Pre-analytical factors, such as specimen selection and collection, are crucial for RT-PCR, and any suboptimal collection may contribute to false-negative results. Herein, we address some of the specimen types that have been used in molecular detection methods for COVID-19. However, the pandemic is still evolving, and information might change as more studies are conducted.