An unfortunate emergence of a new virus SARS-CoV-2, causing a disease known as COVID-19, has spread all around the globe and has caused a pandemic. It primarily affects the respiratory tract and lungs in some cases causing severe organ damage and pneumonia due to overwhelming immune responses. Clinical reports show that the most commons symptoms are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, along with several other symptoms. It is thought that an immense cytokine dysregulation in COVID-19 patients is caused following the virus infection. Notably, if patients present with pre-existing specific comorbidities like diabetes or high blood pressure, rates of COVID-19 induced complications and deaths are escalated. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy has been shown to alleviate pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome (ARDS) symptoms, through their immunomodulatory activities in COVID-19 patients. Although more research studies and clinical trial results are needed to elucidate the exact mechanism by which MSCs provide relief to COVID-19 infected patients. Results from clinical trials are encouraging as patients treated with MSCs, regain lung functions and have restored levels of cytokines and trophic factors underscoring the fact that stem cell therapy can be, at least, a complementary therapy to alleviate sufferings in COVID-19 patients. This review discusses the possible therapeutic uses of MSCs for treating COVID-19.

Graphical Abstract

不幸的是，一种新病毒 SARS-CoV-2 的出现，导致了一种称为 COVID-19 的疾病，已经在全球范围内传播并引起了大流行。它主要影响呼吸道和肺部，在某些情况下，由于免疫反应过度，会导致严重的器官损伤和肺炎。临床报告显示，最常见的症状是发烧、干咳和呼吸急促，以及其他几种症状。人们认为，COVID-19 患者的细胞因子异常失调是在病毒感染后引起的。值得注意的是，如果患者存在糖尿病或高血压等预先存在的特定合并症，则 COVID-19 引起的并发症和死亡率会上升。间充质干细胞 (MSC) 疗法已被证明可缓解肺炎和急性呼吸综合征 (ARDS) 症状，通过他们在 COVID-19 患者中的免疫调节活性。尽管需要更多的研究和临床试验结果来阐明 MSC 为 COVID-19 感染患者提供缓解的确切机制。临床试验的结果令人鼓舞，因为接受 MSCs 治疗的患者恢复了肺功能并恢复了细胞因子和营养因子的水平，这强调了干细胞疗法至少可以作为一种补充疗法来减轻 COVID-19 患者的痛苦。本综述讨论了 MSCs 治疗 COVID-19 的可能治疗用途。临床试验的结果令人鼓舞，因为接受 MSCs 治疗的患者恢复了肺功能并恢复了细胞因子和营养因子的水平，这强调了干细胞疗法至少可以作为一种补充疗法来减轻 COVID-19 患者的痛苦。本综述讨论了 MSCs 治疗 COVID-19 的可能治疗用途。临床试验的结果令人鼓舞，因为接受 MSCs 治疗的患者恢复了肺功能并恢复了细胞因子和营养因子的水平，这强调了干细胞疗法至少可以作为一种补充疗法来减轻 COVID-19 患者的痛苦。本综述讨论了 MSCs 治疗 COVID-19 的可能治疗用途。

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