286 - Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on Biologic Potential of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Poster Number: 286

Shruthi Janardhan, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States; Fayez M. Bany-Mohammed, UC Irvine Medical Center, Orange, CA, United States; Cherry Uy, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States; Muhammad Aslam, University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States

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).

Objective: We hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 infection of the pregnant mother at the time of delivery will lead to an alteration in the growth and differential potential of cord-derived MSCs. Our aims included collection, isolation and growth of human umbilical cord derived MSCs followed by assessment of their differentiation potential.

Design/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 (Figure 1).Conclusion(s): SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of delivery alters the growth and differentiation potential of cord-derived MSCs. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are currently in progress to determine how this change effects the biological potential of these cells.
Figure 1: Duplication and Differentiation potential of SARS-CoV-2 Exposed and Non-exposed MSCsPAS.jpegStudy findings of duplication and differential Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) based on exposure to Active SARs-CoV-2 infection compared to control.