Emerging role and therapeutic application of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and MSC-derived exosome in Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection

Abstract

Over the past few years, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has infected billions of people worldwide. Most patients infected with COVID-19 present with fever, cough, headache, fatigue, and other clinical manifestations. For elderly patients or people with low immunity and underlying diseases, it is frequent to develop into severe or critical illness, which may even lead to multiple organ failure and death. Symptomatic treatment remains the most common treatment for patients with severe COVID-19 infection, whereas the effectiveness is limited. A large number of studies have shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can inhibit viral growth, enhance tissue repair, and reduce inflammation, infection-induced cytokine storm, and multi-organ failure by secreting a variety of paracrine factors. In this paper, we summarized current relevant research, describe the mechanism of action and therapeutic effect of MSCs in patients with severe COVID-19 infection-related diseases, and discuss the therapeutic potential of MSCs and their exosome derivatives in patients with critical infections.