Are mesenchymal stem cells, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine effective in treating SARS-cov2

Abstract

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID 19) is a formidable threat to global health due to its extremely contagious nature. Its causative agent is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV 2), which is part of the Coronaviridae family. In addition, no therapeutic treatment is licensed for the disease; however, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquines are considered potential candidates. The study conducted a systematic literature review on the treatment of COVID 19 using MSCs, and hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. The relevant articles were searched in PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library databases and selected based on an elaborate inclusion and exclusion criteria. Importantly, the number of studies reporting COVID 19 treatment using MSCs was significantly lower than hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. The findings indicate that MSCs reversed the COVID 19 symptoms in critical patients, while hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine were not effective in treatment; hence, the MSCs are a promising for COVID 19 treatment.