UoH start-up claims breakthrough COVID-19 treatment through stem cells

Significantly improved patient survival and time to recovery observed following the treatment, says Transcell Oncologics

May 03, 2021 06:33 pm | Updated May 04, 2021 11:51 am IST - Hyderabad

Subadra Dravida

Subadra Dravida

A breakthrough human Umbilical Cord (UC) tissue harvested and clinically processed adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)-based therapy to COVID patients has been announced by Transcell Oncologics, a biotech start-up company, incubated at ASPIRE-Technology Business Incubator (ASPIRE-TBI), University of Hyderabad (UoH) on Monday.

The firm had developed proprietary cell-based platform technology ‘HEMATO UC-MSCs’ with anti-cytokine storm properties, anti-inflammatory attributes and repairing abilities. The research recommends HEMATO UC-MSCs to be administered as “two intravenous infusions, at a dose of 100 million cells per infusion, given 72 hours apart to the COVID patients.

“A significant decrease in a set of inflammatory cytokines involved in the COVID-19 “cytokine storm”; with significantly improved patient survival and time to recovery was observed following the treatment,” claimed, an official spokesman in a press release.

“MSCs have the proven ability to reduce ventilator-induced lung damage, reduce cytokine storm, regenerate damaged tissue encouraging practitioners to use them for pre-treating COVID patients in the hospital. HEMATO UC-MSCs fall in that category, per se they do not cause any adverse effects, are easy to administer, proven to be safe for human application, with added benefits like no damage caused to any organ,” said founder-CEO Subadra Dravida.

She said the new method provides an alternative opportunity to the practitioners to treat increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. The advantage of the therapy is this new way of curing COVID patients in real time to save them and not to treat the symptoms alone. Also, if HEMATO UC-MSCs are administered as the first line of treatment followed by concomitant steps to alleviate the associated symptoms in a traditional way, COVID deaths can be dodged, she asserted.

Effectiveness of this MSC-based technology has been confirmed by Cell Transplant Centre, Miami Miller School of Medicine, Jackson Health System, Department of Public Health Sciences, USA on COVID-19 patients suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). It has released a detailed research paper on a randomised Controlled Trial (double blind pase 1/2a) and confirmed the laboratory findings from Transcell Oncologics.

The CEO said HEMATO UC-MSCs are already being used by multiple hospitals in Hyderabad and rest of Telangana to save COVID patients. Hospitals in other cities are also in the process of starting the treatments. It can be delivered pan India within 48 hours and has been specially treated for storage under 2-8 deg C refrigerated conditions for ease of use by the practitioners within 72 hours.

UoH Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile expressed his happiness about the availability of an alternative treatment for the COVID-19 developed by UoH Startup Transcell Oncologics. Contact details for HEMATO UC-MSCs: Whatsapp or Regular phone: 91-8297256755 or 91-8886666615 or rgupta@tran-scell.com

Transcell Oncologics is into drug discovery, enabling cancer medicine and the related invitro testing applications as alternative models to animals in validating pharma, vaccine and cosmetics intended for human consumption. HEMATO Global, a product brand from Transcell Oncologics, has over 20 distinct products based on clinically processed stem cells in and as therapeutic tools for imparting transplantations and crystorage services for cancer treatments, said a press release.

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