A world-leading UK-wide trial supported by NIHR is offering a pioneering cell therapy treatment for patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) caused by COVID-19.

The groundbreaking study, led by experts at Queen’s University Belfast, is the first of its kind in the UK investigating if allogenic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) can be used to treat patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

The trial is one of a number of COVID-19 studies that are considered to be urgent public health research by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers.

Many of the most critically unwell patients with the virus develop ARDS – a condition where the lungs become inflamed and leaky so they fill with fluid. This causes respiratory failure and patients may require admission to intensive care and a ventilator machine to support their breathing.

Researchers on this trial will use MSCs – a type of cell derived from human tissue such as bone marrow or umbilical cord (which is otherwise discarded after the baby is born) – to treat the damage to the lungs caused by the virus. It is hoped the cells will reduce inflammation and improve lung repair, thus leading to improved outcomes for patients.

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