NK cells (natural killer cells) are an important part of the human immune system. NK cells protect the body from viruses and destroy malignant cells. Donor NK cells, in particular those obtained from umbilical cord blood, are increasingly used in anticancer and antiviral therapy. The latter have a number of advantages and have been used in medicine for more than 20 years. Even a commercial preparation of natural killer cells of allogeneic umbilical cord blood has been created, clinical trials of which are now entering the 2nd phase.
There are about two billion NK cells in the body of a healthy person. One infusion of the drug described above delivers about a billion of natural killer cells of umbilical cord blood into the patient’s bloodstream. Treatment of 17 patients with relapsed or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome hospitalized for COVID-19 showed that NK cell infusions were well tolerated. No cytokine release syndrome or toxic side effects were observed even at the highest dosage.
In a phase 2 clinical trial, umbilical cord blood NK cells will be used as antiviral therapy in high-risk patients hospitalized for viral infections. Scientists believe that the use of cord blood NK cells could be an important treatment method when vaccination does not provide the desired result or does not cover all patients.
Ukrainian scientists have also achieved a breakthrough in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome – a life-threatening lung injury caused by COVID-19 using mesenchymal stem cells from the placenta and umbilical cord. The treatment method was created by scientists of the Institute of Cell Therapy in cooperation with the Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 4 and the Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases named after Gromashevsky. Clinical trial NCT04461925 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04461925?cond=covid-19&term=placenta%20mesenchymal%20stem%20cells&rank=1) was conducted. Intravenous administration of mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord/placenta provided a reduction in the inflammatory process during the first two weeks and a significant reduction in the level of fibrotic degeneration of the lungs in patients with COVID-19. The results of the clinical study were published in the prestigious scientific journal “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” (https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/5/4435#)
The World Health Organization estimates that about 7 million people have died from COVID-19 since 2020. Seasonal flu claims between 290,000 and 650,000 lives each year. Therapy with umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord and placenta cell based drugs can become an important and relevant method of treatment of dangerous viral diseases.
Based on: https://bioinformant.com/coeptis-therapeutics-allogeneic-nk-cell-therapy/
