New Study Highlights Exciting Potential of Umbilical Cord Tissue to Treat COVID-19

Toronto, Canada, August 07, 2020 --(PR.com)-- COVID-19 patients administered with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) from cord tissue all recover from disease.

- Cord tissue cells shown to promote tissue repair and regeneration and support normal function of immune system.

- Insception Lifebank is Canada’s first and largest cord blood banking program.

As the world comes to terms with the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the search for effective treatments and scientific research into the disease has gathered pace. A new clinical study has now shown that Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), derived from umbilical cord tissue, are showing intriguing potential as a possible remedy for those suffering from the debilitating effects of COVID-19.

The recently published study evaluated whether infusion of MSCs had a clinical benefit in patients with COVID-19. In the study, seven patients with either critical, severe or common COVID-19-related symptoms, were infused with MSCs and monitored for 14 days. Initially, all patients demonstrated symptoms synonymous with the disease such as high fever, weakness, shortness of breath and low oxygen saturation. Two to four days after MSC administration, these symptoms had subsided.

By the end of the study, all patients with common and severe COVID-19 infections had recovered, while the critically ill COVID-19 patients had been discharged from the ICU with no more than common infection symptoms. The positive outcome of this study supports the notion that applications of MSCs in COVID-19 patients may lead to regulation of inflammatory responses, while at the same time promoting tissue repair and regeneration. Specifically, those derived from umbilical cord tissue have been shown to assist in returning the activity of the immune system back to normal.

While the studies are still in a preliminary stage, the early results of MSC administration in COVID-19 patients has provided genuine cause for optimism.

Dr. Ian Rogers, Scientific Advisor for Insception Lifebank, Canada’s #1 Cord Blood Banking Program, explains what this may mean for future treatments:

“These new findings are particularly exciting in the ongoing efforts to treat patients infected with SARS-COV2, especially those that go on to suffer acute respiratory problems and spend time in ICU. In some ways, these early results are not surprising, as at Insception we’ve been storing umbilical cord tissue since 2014 due to its anti-inflammatory properties and future potential in treatments such as this.

“Although it’s still early, the promising results of the MSC administration into patients with COVID-19 and the ongoing clinical trials allows us to be optimistic in this uncertain time.”

While scientists are only just discovering their potential use in treating COVID-19, MSCs have been successfully tested in clinical trials for a variety of other disorders, such as sepsis, graft vs host disease and auto-immune disorders. In respiratory illnesses, MSCs have been observed to exert a broad range of potential benefits, including improving the lung microenvironment, inhibiting the over-activation of the immune system (sometimes known as a "cytokine storm"), preventing pulmonary fibrosis and promoting tissue repair.

To find out more about cord blood banking, visit www.insception.com.