Stem cell treatment for COVID-19 is a reality. An Israeli company has treated its first patient suffering from COVID-19 complications under the country’s compassionate use program. The news comes with a report from the company announcing that they treated six critically ill patients in Israel. All were considered high risk for mortality, with human stem cells, and all of them survived.
In the United States, medical professionals treated another patient with the same cellular therapy at the Holy Name Medical Center in New Jersey. Where a phase III study is already underway to investigate potential benefits in critical limb ischemia.
Similar to the patients treated in Israel. This patient was severely ill with respiratory failure due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. He spent three weeks intubated in an intensive care unit. Specifically, the treatment in the U.S. was administered under the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program. An emergency program aimed at getting treatments to patients as quickly as possible.
In Israel, three different Israeli medical centers treated six patients over the course of a week. Under a compassionate use program. They were suffering from acute respiratory failure and inflammatory complications associated with COVID-19. Four out of the six patients also showed organ failure in other systems, including cardiovascular and renal failure.
Results
One week later, not only did all the patients survive, but four of them showed improvement in respiratory parameters, and three of them are in advanced stages of ventilator weaning. Additionally, two of the patients with preexisting medical conditions are showing clinical recovery in addition to respiratory improvement.
This Cellular Treatment consists of “Mesenchymal Stem Cells with immunomodulatory properties,” meaning they induce natural regulatory T-cells of the immune system and M2 macrophages.
The result is the possible reversal of the dangerous overactivation of the immune system, which may likely reduce the deadly symptoms of pneumonia and pneumonitis (general inflammation of lung tissue).
Hundreds of clinical studies on mesenchymal stem cells indicate significant therapeutic effects in conditions such as pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, acute kidney injuries, and gastrointestinal injuries.
If you wish to delve deeper into COVID, we invite you to read our article “Causes of COVID-19.” If you want to continue exploring the relationship between Stem Cells and COVID-19, don’t miss our article “Stem Cells for COVID-19.”
