Mesenchymal Stem Cells: The Secret Children’s Weapons against the SARS-CoV-2 Lethal Infection

• Main Authors: Mario Giosuè Balzanelli, Pietro Distratis, Orazio Catucci, Angelo Cefalo, Rita Lazzaro, Francesco Inchingolo, Diego Tomassone, Sergey K. Aityan, Andrea Ballini, Kieu C. D. Nguyen, Ciro Gargiulo Isacco
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs); induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); embryonic stem cells (ESCs); immune system
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/4/1696

Due to the promising effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of various diseases, this commentary aimed to focus on the auxiliary role of MSCs to reduce inflammatory processes of acute respiratory infections caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Since early in 2020, COVID-19, a consequence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly affected millions of people world-wide. The SARS-CoV-2 infection in children appears to be an unusual event. Despite the high number of affected adult and elderly, children and adolescents remained low in amounts, and marginally touched. Based on the promising role of cell therapy and regenerative medicine approaches in the treatment of several life-threatening diseases, it seems that applying MSCs cell-based approaches can also be a hopeful strategy for improving subjects with severe acute respiratory infections caused by COVID-19.