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Amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a therapeutic tool against cytokine storm: a comparison with umbilical cord counterparts
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Bruna Corradetti
Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Volume: 16, Start page: 151
Swansea University Authors:
David James, GIANMARCO MELONE, OMAR SAEED, Lewis Francis , Bruna Corradetti
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© The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
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DOI (Published version): 10.1186/s13287-025-04262-0
Abstract
Several immunosuppressive therapies have been proposed as key treatment options for critically ill patients since the first appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from different sources have been considered for their potential to attenuate the cy...
| Published in: | Stem Cell Research & Therapy |
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| ISSN: | 1757-6512 |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69273 |
| Abstract: |
Several immunosuppressive therapies have been proposed as key treatment options for critically ill patients since the first appearance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from different sources have been considered for their potential to attenuate the cytokine storm associated to COVID-19 and the consequent multi-organ failure, providing evidence for safe and efficacious treatments. Among them, administration of umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) has demonstrated a significant increase in survival rates, largely due to their potent immunosuppressive properties. We applied next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis to compare the transcriptomic profiles of MSCs isolated from two gestational sources: amniotic fluid (AF) obtained during prenatal diagnosis and their clinically relevant umbilical cord counterparts, for which datasets were publicly available. A full meta-analysis was performed to identify suitable GEO and NGS datasets for comparison between AF- and UC-MSC samples. Transcriptome analysis revelaed significant differences between groups, despite both cell lines being strongly involved in the tissue development, crucial to achieve the complex task of wound healing. Significantly enriched hallmark genes suggest AF-MSC superior immunomodulatory features against signaling pathways actively involved in the cytokine storm (i.e., IL-2/STAT, TNF-a/NFkB, IL-2/STAT5, PI3K/AKT/mTOR). The data presented here suggest that AF-MSCs hold significant promise for treating not only COVID-19-associated cytokine storms but also a variety of other inflammatory syndromes (i.e., those induced by bacterial infections, autoimmune disorders, and therapeutic interventions). Realizing the full potential of AF-MSCs as a comprehensive therapeutic approach in inflammatory disease management will require more extensive clinical trials and in-depth mechanistic studies. |
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| Keywords: |
Mesenchymal stem cells; Amniotic fluid; Umbilical cord; Cytokine storm; Transcriptomic analysis; Regulatory moieties; Immunosuppression; GSEA; COVID-19 |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
B.C. received salary support from the Sêr Cymru II programme, funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND scheme and the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (2018–2022). This funding body played no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript. |
| Start Page: |
151 |