Harish C Chandramoorthy

By Harish C. Chandramoorthy, Vishnu Balaji Radhakrishnan and Narasimman Gurusamy

Regeneration, revitalizing and reversal (RRR) are the primordial functions of the stem cells in the field of regenerative medicine. Though there are several cases of successful stem cell transplantation the reversal of metabolic diseases and the acquired secondary complications like chronic renal failure, neuropathy, stroke or vascular diseases are not well studied. The transplanted cells in many cases failed to home or graft in the host with no reason to attribute for such failures. Therefore, it becomes necessary to address these secondary complications with cellular therapy. The oxidative stress of the cells and tissues are attributed to the hostile microenvironment, not suitable for the survival of newly recruited cells. From our few animal studies and published literatures sources elsewhere, we foresee a huge potential for using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to initially combat the secondary cardiovascular and neuronal complications in the management of the metabolic diseases. However, not all the stem cells have been tested in these lines, and further we do not know, whether all the progenitor cells from various sources and origin will behave like MSCs, which needs to be studied extensively.

Part of the book: Mesenchymal Stem Cells

By Sterlin Raj and Harish C. Chandramoorthy

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are known for their immunomodulatory properties, and their role in antiviral response is poorly understood. The susceptibility of the MSCs to viral infection or viral tropism toward MSCs can be emanated from few available literature evidences. What makes MSCs special is the ability to sustain infection and reciprocate through immune intermediates like antimicrobial peptides, cytokines, and secretomes. However, care has to be taken to understand that MSCs can transmit viral infections and are known for their vulnerability to many microorganisms in general. In the recent past, after deadly infections like Ebola, Zika, and HIV, COVID-19 had posed a great threat, where stem cell transplantation was a suggestive therapeutic model in some cases due to the cytokine storm and other additional biochemical, molecular, and transcriptional factors associated with the pathology. This is true in many other common viral infections at large. In this chapter, the role of MSCs in combating viral infections as well as their susceptibility pattern are discussed. Further, the role of MSCs in immunomodulation and their antiviral factors cannot be delineated in understanding the immunological mechanisms preventing tissue damages associated with viral infection.

Part of the book: Recent Update on Mesenchymal Stem Cells