Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Severe COVID-19

A potential COVID-19 treatment that uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has flown under the radar thus far, but the therapy has shown promise in early research, and phase 2/3 results that will likely come out in early fall could show that it’s a game changer.

MSCs, also known as medicinal signaling cells, are multipotent stem cells that repair tissue, secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines and possess immunomodulatory features. Fred Grossman, chief medical officer of Australia-based Mesoblast, described them as “off-the-shelf cells that are manufactured and essentially cryopreserved.” They are then sent frozen to hospitals, thawed and administered intravenously.

Those anti-inflammatory properties proved effective against COVID-19, according to results from a small trial testing Mesoblast’s remestemcel-L in moderate and severe COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

The study, conducted at New York City’s Mount Sinai Hospital, showed that 83 percent of ventilator-dependent patients — 10 out of 12 — survived after being treated with two infusions of the therapy within the first five days. Nine of the 12 patients came off ventilator support within 10 days and seven were discharged from the hospital.

Another trial, the results of which were published in The Lancet in July, treated 13 severe COVID-19 patients with adipose-tissue derived MSCs. Again, most subjects showed improvement, and no significant adverse events were noted.

Mesoblast’s phase 2/3 randomized placebo trial of the potential coronavirus treatment, which started in May and includes 300 patients, will offer a greater glimpse into the stem cell treatment’s effectiveness.

Grossman said that the phase 2/3 trial is currently enrolling and “will probably end early in the fall.” — James Miessler