The pandemic of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has not yet ended, has claimed almost 7 million lives in the world. Mesenchymal stem cells, which are isolated mainly from the umbilical cord and placenta, have been used in the treatment of COVID-19 since March 2020. A total of 30 countries, including Ukraine, have registered clinical trials in which patients with COVID-19 were treated using stem cells. Allogeneic (donor) stem cells were used in most cases (76%), because most adults do not have their own umbilical cord blood or preserved umbilical cord cells. Therefore, biobanks have played an important role in the creation of drugs to fight against COVID-19.
In September 2023, the well-known international organization Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation (Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation), which promotes the dissemination of verified information about the value of cord blood and perinatal tissues (umbilical cord, placenta) among pregnant women and doctors around the world, published an article in which described the international experience of treating COVID-19 using stem cells. It is important that leading foreign experts also noted the Ukrainian clinical trial, namely the method of treating COVID-19 using stem cells developed by the Institute of Cell Therapy, which the Institute of Cell Therapy conducted on the basis of the Kyiv City Hospital No. 4 together with the Institute of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases n.a. Gromashevsky. Patients with COVID-19 complications were administered the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell drugs, manufactured by the biotechnology laboratory of the Institute of Cell Therapy in accordance with international standards. Thanks to the innovative treatment with the help of stem cells, it was possible to achieve a decrease in the inflammatory process during the first two weeks and significantly reduce the level of fibrotic degeneration of the lungs. The results of the Ukrainian scientists research were published in prestigious international scientific journals – International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Biomedical Reports.
For the period from 2019 to 2021, 195 clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19 with stem cells were registered worldwide, the biggest amount in April 2020. In total, 204 types of cell preparations were studied in the treatment of COVID-19, mesenchymal stem cells accounted for a significant share due to their pronounced anti-inflammatory and restorative effect. The highest number of clinical trials were registered in the USA (53), China (43), Iran (19) and Spain (11).
Source: https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/covid-19-lessons-learned-biobanks, https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/br.2023.1615, https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/5/4435#
