Gina Marcela Torres Zambrano, Carlos Alfonso Villegas Valverde, Antonio Bencomo Hernandez,  Lobna Abdel Hadi, Rene Antonio Rivero, Yendry Ventura Carmenate, Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC).

doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.16.20236877

Background: The COVID19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to identify effective drugs for prevention and treatment. Objective: To characterize acute renal injury (AKI) in patients with COVID19 and their relation with clinical outcomes within the framework of the SENTAD COVID clinical trial at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center.

Methods: Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center (ADSCC) proposed a prospective clinical trial nebulization treatment with autologous stem cells (Non-Hematopoietic Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (NHPBSC)), at Abu Dhabi hospitals. Participants: 20 treated patients were compared with 23 not treated patients. Both groups received COVID 19 standard treatment.

Outcomes: After the results were collected, this study was created to determine the impact of the disease on the renal function and the efficacy of the therapy on patients outcomes. Results: One third of the critical patients studied suffered kidney failure. Patients in the treated group showed a favorable tendency to improve in contrast to those in the control group. Less patients from group A suffered from sepsis in comparison with the group B (25% vs 65%), HR=0.38, (95% Confidence Interval: 0.16 0.86), *p=0.0212. These results suggested a NNT=2.5. An improvement in lymphocyte count, CRP, and shorter hospital stay after treatment was evidenced, which led to less superinfection and sepsis in the treated group.

Conclusions: The proposed anti-inflammatory effect of the stem cells, offers a great promise for managing the illness, emerging as a crucial adjuvant tool in promoting healing and early recovery in severe COVID-19 infections and other supportive treatments.

Read more at: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.16.20236877v1