- Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have proven that a groundbreaking coronavirus treatment idea really works.
- Stem cell transfusions can save lives and speed COVID-19 recovery in patients with severe disease who develop life-threatening ARDS.
- The stem cells migrate to the lungs and can correct the immune and inflammatory response, reducing so-called cytokine storms. “It’s like smart bomb technology in the lungs to restore normal immune response and reverse life-threatening complications,” said Dr. Camillo Ricordi in a statement.
As awful as 2020 has been, with COVID-19 largely responsible for the whole show from last year, there’s one major thing that doesn’t get enough praise. That’s the science that allowed health officials and doctors to create protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission and save more patients who eventually develop life-threatening complications. Many discoveries have allowed doctors to change the way they treat patients.
The introduction of blood thinners into COVID-19 therapy and drugs that can dampen the inflammatory response have helped more people survive the battle with the terrible disease. New drugs such as monoclonal antibodies can prevent serious cases, and vaccines have been shown to be very effective in clinical trials in preventing COVID-19 complications. But SARS-CoV-2 is so contagious that the number of deaths remains high. The higher the caseload, the more deaths can be expected, even though the actual death rate is quite low. That is why the US has seen so many deaths in recent months and more people will not survive COVID-19 in the coming months.
Vaccines are the kind of panacea that can prevent deaths by teaching the immune system to be prepared to deal with the virus from the moment it sets foot in the body. But vaccines cannot be used in people who are already infected with the pathogen. That’s where the world needs better therapies. A team of doctors has just found the groundbreaking treatment that may save even more lives than is now possible. The researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine proved a theory based on anecdotal evidence. Stem cell therapy can accelerate COVID-19 recovery and prevent deaths.
Today’s best deal 
Best selling black face masks are FINALLY back in stock after they sell out on Amazon Price:$ 26.25 
BGR is available from Amazon and can receive a commission Available at Amazon BGR can receive a commission
Some doctors have tried stem cell transfusion with COVID-19 therapy in several countries, with American doctors showing great success. But those weren’t studies that would allow the country to develop new treatment protocols. New drugs, such as vaccines, must go through randomized, double-blind trials that prove beyond a doubt that they are effective and safe.
That’s what the UM team did with umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell infusions. The doctors studied 24 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the UHealth Tower or UM / Jackson Memorial Hospital. The patients developed severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which occurs in other diseases and can be fatal. The patients received two infusions a few days apart, either with a placebo or with the stem cells.
‘It was a double blind study. Doctors and patients did not know what was being administered, ”said Dr. Camillo Ricordi in a statement. “Two infusions of 100 million stem cells were administered within three days, for a total of 200 million cells in each patient in the treatment group.”
Ricordi, the senior author of the study published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, is the director of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) and the Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
The researchers found that the patient’s survival was 91% in the stem cell group, compared to 42% in the placebo group. All patients under the age of 85 who received the stem cells survived for one month.
The patients on stem cells recovered faster than those in the control group. More than half of the stem cell-treated patients went home within two weeks of the last treatment. More than 80% of the strain group recovered by day 30, compared to less than 37% in the placebo cohort.
“The umbilical cord contains progenitor stem cells, or mesenchymal stem cells, that can be expanded and deliver therapeutic doses to more than 10,000 patients with a single umbilical cord,” said Ricordi. “It is a unique source of cells under investigation for their potential use in cell therapy applications whenever you need to modulate the immune or inflammatory response.”
The doctor said the university has been working with China on these therapies for more than 10 years, looking at stem cells for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Stem cell therapies can be used in other diseases that cause an exaggerated immune response, not just COVID-19.
“Our results confirm the potent anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating effect of UC-MSC (mesenchymal stem cells derived from the umbilical cord). These cells have clearly inhibited the ‘cytokine rush,’ a hallmark of severe COVID-19, ”said Dr. Giacomo Lanzoni, lead author of the article, said in a statement.
The stem cells have antimicrobial activity and lead to tissue regeneration, in addition to correcting the immune and inflammatory response.
The therapy “requires only an intravenous (IV) infusion, such as a blood transfusion,” Ricordi said. “It’s like smart bomb technology in the lungs to restore normal immune response and reverse life-threatening complications.” The stem cells appear to be placed naturally in the lungs, which is the most compromised area in COVID-19 patients who develop ARDS.
The university plans to study stem cell therapy in COVID-19 patients who have not developed any complications but are at risk of intubation. If successful, the therapy can prevent the progression of COVID-19 to a serious, complicating state.
While Ricordi and his team have proven that this stem cell therapy is safe and effective for COVID-19 patients, it is unclear if and when it can be used more widely. The US is still experiencing record hospital admissions and patients who develop complications will take weeks to recover. Other countries are also experiencing massive COVID-19 spikes.
Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby and before he knew it, he shared his thoughts on tech matters with readers around the world. When not writing about gadgets, he sadly fails to stay away from them, although he desperately tries. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.