• Functionality of immune cells in COVID-19 infection: development of cell-based therapeutics
  • Maryam Sayahinouri,1 Sahar Mashayekhi Firouz,2 Amin Ebrahimi Sadrabadi,3 Mahnaz Abdolahi ,4 Arman Saadati Partan,5 Arsalan Jalili,6,*
    1. Department of Immunology, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
    2. Department of Immunology, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
    3. Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
    4. Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    5. Parvaz Research Ideas Supporter Institute, Tehran, Iran
    6. Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACER, Tehran, Iran


  • Introduction: In late December 2019, a sudden severe respiratory illness of unknown origin was reported in China. In early January 2020, the cause of COVID-19 infection was announced a new coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Examination of the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence revealed a close resemblance to the previously reported SARS-CoV and coronavirus Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV). However, initial testing of drugs used against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV has been ineffective in controlling SARS-CoV-2. One of the key strategies to fight the virus is to look at how the immune system works against the virus, which has led to a better understanding of the disease and the development of new therapies and vaccine designs.
  • Methods: This review discussed the innate and acquired immune system responses and how immune cells function against the virus to shed light on the human body's defense strategies.
  • Results: Although immune responses have been revealed critical to eradicating infections caused by coronaviruses, dysregulated immune responses can lead to immune pathologies thoroughly investigated. Also, the benefit of mesenchymal stem cells, NK cells, Treg cells, specific T cells, and platelet lysates have been submitted as promising solutions to prevent the effects of infection in patients with COVID-19.
  • Conclusion: In conclusion, the host immune responses are the crucial factor in destining COVID-19. Moreover, further analysis of these responses has indicated their effectiveness on the severity of the disease in different individuals, as some infected cases show mild symptoms, and others show no symptoms. Therefore, clear comprehension of these reactions in individuals with severe symptoms and carriers can better recognize the involved molecular mechanisms. Accordingly, with the help of which, not only can we pave the way to reach a long-term protective immunity against this virus, but also it might be possible to take preventive and therapeutic measures to overcome the outbreak of this virus and other kinds of CoVs. Cell therapy is a novel therapeutic method that prescribes cellular material for medical purposes. Different kinds of cells, including hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, lymphocytes, NK cells, and DCs, can be utilized in cell therapy. At present, applying these cells to prevent or cure infected individuals of COVID-19 is undergoing clinical trials to gain full knowledge of their efficiency. It is hoped that this new medicinal approach can successfully treat patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • Keywords: COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 Immune responses Cell therapy Innate Immune system Adaptive immune system