Therapeutic prospects of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in COVID-19 associated pulmonary diseases: From bench to bedside

Figure 1 Schematic model for management of coronavirus disease 2019 associated pulmonary disease by mesenchymal stem/stromal cell application. Coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) could result in multifaceted deteriorations of the infected lungs such as ground glass opacity, alveolar epithelial cell injury, inflammatory exudation, pro-inflammatory factor and chemokine accumulation, effector immunocyte abnormalities, and the accompanied cytokine storm. Systematic or partial infusion is adequate for the effective remission of the damaged lung tissues by simultaneously suppressing the abnormal immune response, secreting exosomes and micro-vesicles, and accelerating cell repair and the SARS-CoV-2 clearance. MSCs: Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells; SARS-CoV-2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019.