Chilean scientists look for a therapy for severe respiratory failure in menstrual fluid

Research in the laboratory phase demonstrated that cryopreserved stem cells allowed to improve lung function and reduce mortality in the face of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Communications UAndes.- A study led by the IMPACT Center of Excellence and the Biomedical Research and Innovation Center (CiiB) of the Universidad de los Andes, determined that the stem cells present in menstrual fluid have therapeutic potential in the face of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a serious respiratory complication associated with Covid-19 presents worse outcomes, such as a higher risk of admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and patient mortality.

The main researcher, Jimena Cuenca, explains that “this syndrome is a respiratory failure that causes accumulation of fluid in the air spaces of the lungs (pulmonary edema), low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia) and inflammation. It is a condition that has increased considerably due to Covid-19, it has a high mortality rate and there are only palliative treatments. What we observed in the laboratory is that cryopreserved menstrual stem cell therapy was safe and effective, favoring improved lung function and survival, reducing inflammation and lung damage. In the mouse model of the disease, it is possible to see an improvement from the second day after the cells are injected,” she says.

For the scientist, the use of cryopreserved stem cells in this research opens the door to therapies that are more easily accessible and immediately available.

“Therapies based on cryopreserved or frozen cells that are not from the same patient may be within the reach of those who need rapid treatment, since the cells can be thawed and injected immediately. On the other hand, when the cells are from the same patient and fresh, to call them one way, it means that the therapy must be produced from cells of the patient who is already sick, and these therapies are not done overnight, they take two or three weeks, and in this disease, the sooner the treatment is applied, the better”, he assures.

The work, carried out in collaboration with the Pulmonary Research Laboratory of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and the Department of Internal Medicine of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, is an advance in the search for a safe and effective treatment against a syndrome of high economic cost for the health system and families, by requiring long hospitalizations in intensive care units and the support of complex equipment such as mechanical ventilators.

Francisca Alcayaga, principal investigator of IMPACT and part of the study, highlights that, although there is scientific evidence that indicates the potential of stem cells of different origins in lung regeneration, cells obtained from menstrual fluid have great potential compared to other cells. sources.

“Stem cells are in different tissues of your body and it has been shown that they are present in different body fluids such as urine, milk, and obviously menstrual fluid. We have been studying them for more than 10 years, we are one of the world leaders, and we can say that stem cells from menstrual fluid are different, they are unique compared to other sources. We have realized that menstruation, which is socially seen as something vulgar, unwanted, something that nobody talks about and that generates a lot of modesty, is pure life. It is a living material, which is full of stem cells that serve as therapy for different diseases and full of information regarding the reproductive health of women”, he concludes.