Queen’s University Investigates Cell Therapy for COVID-19

Queen’s University Belfast is leading a UK-wide clinical trial of allogenic Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome in COVID-19 patients.

The REALIST COVID-19 trial will study how MSCs, a type of cell taken from human tissue such as bone marrow or umbilical cord, fare in treating lung injuries caused by the virus.

Patients will receive MSCs derived from umbilical cord tissue, a treatment known as ORBCEL-C, developed by Orbsen Therapeutics.