Open AccessMesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Severe COVID-19 ARDS
Author(s) -
Helene Häberle,
Harry Magunia,
Peter Lang,
Henning Gloeckner,
Andreas Körner,
Michael Koeppen,
Tamam Backchoul,
Nisar P. Malek,
Rupert Handgretinger,
Peter Rosenberger,
Valbona Mirakaj
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of intensive care medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1525-1489
pISSN - 0885-0666
DOI - 10.1177/0885066621997365
Subject(s) - medicine , ards , mesenchymal stem cell , covid-19 , stem cell therapy , cell therapy , pandemic , intensive care medicine , virology , outbreak , stem cell , lung , pathology , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biology , genetics
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic reached Germany in spring 2020. No proven treatment for SARS-CoV-2 was available at that time, especially for severe COVID-19-induced ARDS. We determined whether the infusion of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) would help to improve pulmonary function and overall outcome in patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS. We offered MSC infusion as an extended indication to all critically ill COVID-19 patients with a Horovitz index <100. We treated 5 out of 23 patients with severe COVID-19 ARDS with an infusion of MSCs. One million MSCs/kg body weight was infused over 30 minutes, and the process was repeated in 3 patients twice and in 2 patients 3 times.Result: Four out of 5 MSC-treated patients compared to 50% of control patients (9 out of 18) received ECMO support (80%). The MSC group showed a higher Murray score on admission than control patients, reflecting more severe pulmonary compromise (3.5 ± 0.2 versus 2.8 ± 0.3). MSC infusion was safe and well tolerated. The MSC group had a significantly higher Horovitz score on discharge than the control group. Compared to controls, patients with MSC treatment showed a significantly lower Murray score upon discharge than controls. In the MSC group, 4 out of 5 patients (80%) survived to discharge and exhibited good pulmonary function, whereas only 8 out of 18 patients (45%) in the control group survived to discharge.Conclusion: MSC infusion is a safe treatment for COVID-19 ARDS that improves pulmonary function and overall outcome in this patient population.