PC1054: Impact of COVID-19 on Biologic Potential of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Saturday, October 8, 2022

5:15 PM – 6:00 PM US PDT

Location: Anaheim Convention Center, Hall A, Board # 054

Background: COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to a worldwide pandemic with cytokine storm as. The leading cause of morbidity and mortality. It is known that pregnant women are at higher risk of viral infections given an alteration in immune response. The infection varies from asymptomatic to severe disease in pregnant women depending upon the degree of inflammation and cytokine storm. At present, limited data are available to show the effects of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection on the biologic efficacy of human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Methods: The study was approved by the Institutional IRB. The umbilical cords from mothers with an active SARS-CoV-2 infection at delivery were collected with mother negative for SARS-CoV-2 as controls. Human umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly MSCs from both groups were isolated and cultured according to our modified protocols. In vitro growth and the differentiation potential of the MSCs was assessed using published protocols.

Results: Plastic adherent cells were harvested from 3 pooled SARS-CoV-2 positive mothers and 3 SARS-CoV-2 negative mothers as control. These cells were cultured and underwent immunodepletion per International Society for cellular therapy guidelines to isolate MSCs. MSCs were cultured in MSC-culture media from both groups. SARS-CoV-2 positive MSCs had much shorter duplication time when compared with negative controls. Similarly, MSCs were cultured in differentiation media (adipocytes and osteocytes). Like growth, SARS-CoV-2 positive MSCs has shorter differentiation time compared to negative controls (Picture 1).

Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of delivery alters the growth and differentiation potential of cord-derived MSCs. Further in vitro and in vitro studies are currently in progress to determine how this change effects the biological potential of these cells.

Presenting Author(s)

Shruthi Janardhan, MD

Fellow of Neonatal Perinatal Medicine
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
Orange, California

Co-Author(s)

CU

Cherry Uy, MD

HS Clinical Professor; Medical director- NICU, UC Irvine medical center
University of California, Irvine
Orange, California
FB

Fayez Bany-Mohammed, MD

HS Clinical Professor, Program director - Neonatal Perinatal Medicine Fellowship program
University of California, Irvine
Orange, California

Senior Author(s)

MA

Muhammad Aslam, MD

HS Clinical professor
University of California Irvine
Orange, California