ASC Therapy for Patients With Severe Respiratory COVID-19

The emerging field of stem cell therapy holds promise of treating a variety of diseases. Especially the mesenchymal stromal cells from bone marrow or adipose tissue (ASCs) have proven their potential for regenerative therapy in patients with ischemic heart disease. Both of these cell types have putative immunomodulatory properties, as they have demonstrated their ability to evade recognition and actively suppress the immune system. This knowledge is transferred into studies with COVID-19 patients having severe pulmonary dysfunction, to modify the virus induced immunological and inflammatory activity involved in the progression of disease often leading to prolonged ICU stay and in some occasion's death. We will conduct a clinical trial in which patients with COVID-19 and severe pulmonary symptoms will be randomized to either placebo or treatment with allogeneic CSCC\_ASCs from adipose tissue. The aim is to assess the impact of CSCC\_ASCs on the activated immune system and clinical efficacy on pulmonary function. The perspective is that this new information can be of pivotal importance and potentially be a paradigm shift for the clinical problems and severe outcome seen in some patients with severe COVID-19 and other severe diseases with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.