Page 14 - Mesenchymal Stem cells, Exosomes and vitamins in the fight aginst COVID

Expanded Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Strategy In Managing COVID-19 Illness

ficacious based on the early and preliminary reports matory and immunomodulatory actions, can heal tissues
from China. To achieve the goals of near term compas- thereby enhancing recovery. Additionally, this treatment
sionate use treatment of critically ill COVID-19 patients, seems also to be antimicrobial. Easily available alloge-
we urge administrators and regulators to consider this neic, expanded, umbilical cord stem cells infused intra-
3-pronged approach, if proven safe and effective on a venously seems to be a viable alternative. Since the ma-
specific and limited basis: jority of cells get trapped in the lung, this would also
1. US regulatory agencies should minimize the regu- seem beneficial as the lung is the primary organ affected
latory burden so that properly informed, critically by coronavirus. This therapy is relatively inexpensive and
ill COVID-19 patients/proxies will have access to ex- noninvasive. In these trying and dangerous times MSC-
panded UC-MSC therapy (3,96-98). UC present a potential option for treating critically ill
2. Safeguards must be instituted so that patients do patients under compassionate use protocols.
not suffer any negative consequences from this
treatment from unscrupulous actors. Acknowledgments
3. Ideally, any patients/proxies consenting for this The authors wish to thank Tonie M. Hatton and Di-
compassionate use care will be followed and en- ane E. Neihoff, transcriptionists, for their assistance in
tered into a central data base. preparation of this manuscript. We would like to thank
Alan Kaye, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Pain Physician,
for rapid review and approval for publication.
8.0 conclusIon
COVID-19 presents a serious and urgent healthcare Author Contributions
crisis. The spectrum includes critically ill patients some The concept of stem cells for COVID-19 was con-
of who are nonresponsive to conventional therapies and ceived by SA. After further discussions with LM, the
unlikely to recover. Preclinical and preliminary clinical concept for the manuscript was developed. The manu-
data suggests that by UCS-MCS through its anti-inflam- script was completed by all authors.

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