Journal Article

Stem cells and COVID-19: are the human amniotic cells a new hope for therapies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus?

Maymó, Julieta L., Riedel, Rodrigo N., Sánchez-Margalet, Víctor, Varone, Cecilia L., Pérez-Pérez, Antonio

2021

Overview

A new coronavirus respiratory disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, surprised the entire world, producing social, economic, and health problems. The COVID-19 triggers a lung infection with a multiple proinflammatory cytokine storm in severe patients. Without effective and safe treatments, COVID-19 has killed thousands of people, becoming a pandemic. Stem cells have been suggested as a therapy for lung-related diseases. In particular, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been successfully tested in some clinical trials in patients with COVID-19. The encouraging results positioned MSCs as a possible cell therapy for COVID-19. The amniotic membrane from the human placenta at term is a valuable stem cell source, including human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs) and human mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSCs). Interestingly, amnion cells have immunoregulatory, regenerative, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, hAECs and hAMSCs have been used both in preclinical studies and in clinical trials against respiratory diseases. They have reduced the inflammatory response and restored the pulmonary tissue architecture in lung injury in vivo models. Here, we review the existing data about the stem cells use for COVID-19 treatment, including the ongoing clinical trials. We also consider the non-cellular therapies that are being applied. Finally, we discuss the human amniotic membrane cells use in patients who suffer from immune/inflammatory lung diseases and hypothesize their possible use as a successful treatment against COVID-19.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Amnion / Amnion - cytology / Amniotic cells / Amniotic membrane / Anti-inflammatory agents / Asymptomatic / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering / Bronchopulmonary infection / Cell Biology / Cell therapy / Clinical trials / Clinical Trials as Topic / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - therapy / Cytokine storm / Cytokines / Disease transmission / Epidemics / Epithelial cells / Female / Genomes / Glycoproteins / Health aspects / Humans / Immune system / Immunoregulation / Infection / Infections / Inflammation / Life Sciences / Lung diseases / Lungs / Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Mesenchymal stem cells / Mesenchymal Stem Cells - cytology / Mesenchyme / Pandemics / Patients / Placenta / Placenta - cytology / Pneumonia / Pregnancy / Proteins / Regenerative Medicine/Tissue Engineering / Respiratory diseases / Review / Risk / SARS-CoV-2 / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Stem cell research / Stem cell therapy / Stem Cells / Stem Cells - cytology / Stromal cells / Transplantation / Tumor necrosis factor-TNF / Viral infections / Viruses