COVID-19 pandemic: Insights into genetic susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 and host genes implications on virus spread, disease severity and outcomes

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as a therapeutic agent of inflammatory disease and infectious COVID-19 virus: live or dead mesenchymal?

The COVID-19 infection is a worldwide disease that causes numerous immune-inflammatory disorders, tissue damage, and lung dysfunction. COVID-19 vaccines, including those from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm, are available globally as effective interventions for combating the disease. The severity of COVID-19 can be most effectively reduced by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) because they possess anti-inflammatory activity and can reverse lung dysfunction. MSCs can be harvested from various sources, such as adipose tissue, bone marrow, peripheral blood, inner organs, and neonatal tissues. The regulation of inflammatory cytokines is crucial in inhibiting inflammatory diseases and promoting the presence of anti-inflammatory cytokines for infectious diseases. MSCs have been employed as therapeutic agents for tissue damage, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and COVID-19 patients. Our research aimed to determine whether live or dead MSCs are more suitable for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Our findings concluded that dead MSCs, when directly administered to the patient, offer advantages over viable MSCs due to their extended presence and higher levels of immune regulation, such as T-reg, B-reg, and IL-10, compared to live MSCs. Additionally, dead and apoptotic MSCs are likely to be more readily captured by monocytes and macrophages, prolonging their presence compared to live MSCs.

Predictive Factors and ACE-2 Gene Polymorphisms in Susceptibility to Long COVID-19 Syndrome

Long COVID-19 syndrome is present in 5-10% of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, and there is still little information on the predisposing factors that lead to its development. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the predictive factors in early symptoms, clinical features and the role of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE-2) c.513-1451G>A (rs2106806) and c.15643279T>C (rs6629110) polymorphisms in the susceptibility to developing Long COVID-19 syndrome subsequent to COVID-19 infectionA total of 29 patients who suffered COVID-19 were recruited in a descriptive longitudinal study of two groups: Long COVID-19 (n = 16) and non-Long COVID-19 (n = 13). Early symptoms and clinical features during COVID-19 were classified by a medical service. ACE-2 polymorphisms were genotyped by using a Single Nucleotide Primer Extension (SNPE). Of the early symptoms, fatigue, myalgia and headache showed a high risk of increasing Long COVID-19 susceptibility. Clinical features such as emergency care, SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, previous diseases, respiratory disease and brain fog also had a high risk of increasing Long COVID-19 susceptibility. The A allele in the rs2106806 variant was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.214 (95% CI 2.521-8.853; p < 0.001), and the T allele in the rs6629110 variant was associated with an OR of 3.754 (95% CI 1.785-6.105; p = 0.002) of increasing Long COVID-19 susceptibility. This study shows the risk of ACE-2 polymorphisms, different early symptoms and clinical features during SARS-CoV-2 infection in susceptibility to Long COVID-19.