Stem Cells for Long COVID: Could Regenerative Medicine Reverse Post-Viral Damage?

Long COVID is a chronic health condition that affects your overall health and well-being long after having COVID-19. Long COVID can develop weeks to months after recovering from your initial illness and can persist extensively.

Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus in 2019, researchers have continued to seek effective treatments to help reduce the overall number of cases. While antiviral treatments and vaccines exist, consistent treatment remains challenging due to the virus’s mutating nature, resistance to treatment, and high reinfection levels. ⁽¹⁾ Because of this, researchers around the world explore new potential treatments and therapies, including the potential use of stem cells for long COVID.

Dr. John C. Haasis III is the medical director and founder of the Daisy Institute. Dr. Haasis is a board-certified, fellowship-trained pain management anesthesiologist with more than 25 years of experience in the medical field, and he has treated thousands of patients throughout North and South Carolina. He is proud to offer cutting-edge regenerative treatments to his community, allowing every individual to take back control over their health and well-being.

To start working with Dr. Haasis, please contact us online or call (864) 775-5682 to reach any of our following locations:

The stem cell approaches discussed in this article are experimental and are not currently offered at the Daisy Institute. This information is provided for educational purposes only.

About Stem Cells

Stem cells are a specific type of cell that can renew themselves and differentiate into other cell types. ⁽²⁾ Stem cells exist in various tissues and organs across the body, and in recent years, researchers have heavily investigated their regenerative abilities. Researchers also use these cells to study how diseases spread, allowing researchers to develop treatments more quickly.

About Long COVID

Long COVID is a chronic condition that can develop after receiving the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as COVID-19 or novel coronavirus. Doctors characterize long COVID as three or more COVID-19 symptoms for 12 weeks or longer following the initial infection, with symptoms persisting for a minimum of 8 weeks. ⁽³⁾

Researchers estimate that long COVID impacts more than 65 million individuals worldwide, based on documented COVID-19 cases, but this number is realistically higher due to undocumented and unreported cases. Long COVID affects patients of all ages and health profiles, but it is most prevalent in patients between the ages of 36 and 50. ⁽⁴⁾

Symptoms of Long COVID

Long COVID has more than 200 symptoms that can impact multiple organ systems. Initially, and still, doctors recognize COVID as a respiratory illness, but it can cause organ damage by creating inflammatory reactions and immune responses across multiple tissues. ⁽⁴⁾

These symptoms may include, but are not limited to:

While these symptoms may not seem serious, long COVID can lead to more severe concerns, such as long-term changes to your blood cells or reduced vascular density and small capillaries, which can significantly affect your oxygen delivery. ⁽⁴⁾

Stem Cells Being Researched for Long COVID Treatment

The body contains numerous types of stem cells, but not all of them have applications for long COVID treatment. Researchers select certain stem cells based on their functions within the body or the type of cells they can develop into.

Multipotent Stem Cells

Multipotent stem cells are a specific type of stem cell that can differentiate into a specific range of cells that perform certain biological functions. Researchers also refer to multipotent stem cells as progenitor cells, and they are present in tissues such as the bone marrow, umbilical cords, or menstrual blood. Presently, researchers are predominantly studying specific multipotent stem cells called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for long COVID because of their ability to restructure and repair damaged tissues.

Pluripotent Stem Cells

Pluripotent cells can differentiate into any body cell type except extraembryonic tissues like the placenta. Pluripotent stem cells derive from early-stage embryos, specifically when the fusion of an egg and sperm forms a blastocyst. In addition to MSCs, researchers are also studying pluripotent stem cells for long COVID. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a specific type of pluripotent cell that researchers take from either adult skin or blood cells. Researchers forcibly reprogram these cells back into their embryonic state, allowing them to differentiate into any other type of cell within the body.

Clinical Trials Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells

While researchers still actively study the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treating long COVID, they have shown potential promise. MSCs secrete numerous bioactive molecules, such as lipids, proteins, free nucleic acids, several types of extracellular vesicles (EVs), and more. Studies show that this can promote tissue regeneration and improve lung function in preclinical models of other viral respiratory illnesses. ⁽⁵⁾

In emerging research, MSCs are most commonly delivered intravenously and tend to localize first in the lungs. Some experimental delivery routes aim to target the CNS, but these are not standard. ⁽⁵⁾

Scientists have also found that they can modify the exosomes secreted by MSCs. They can load these exosomes with other drugs or molecules or genetically modify them before administration. ⁽⁵⁾

While the use of MSCs for treating long COVID is still under study, they have shown great promise compared to many other treatments, and they may become a widespread treatment.

Clinical Trials Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers use pluripotent stem cells to further understand long COVID as a disease and how it may affect the brain. Rather than focusing on treatment like MSCs, iPSCs test how this illness spreads and how effective emerging treatments are. Because iPSCs can transform into any type of adult cell, researchers can test certain drugs or treatments without human subjects.

In one study, researchers used iPSCs to create an organoid that mimicked the structure and function of the brain. They observed how COVID-19 affected the tissue and how it triggered inflammation, cell responses, or cell death. These studies demonstrated that even exposure to the spike protein on the surface of the COVID-19 virus can induce certain symptoms or effects, such as cognitive decline or brain fog. Through this experiment, scientists were able to learn more about the different pathways through which this disease enters and affects the body.

It is important to note that there is limited and conflicting information regarding long COVID and induced pluripotent stem cells. Certain scientists report that COVID has a limited ability to infect neurons directly, while evidence shows that it easily infects astrocytes. However, several in vitro cell culture models demonstrated COVID-19’s ability to infect neurons derived from iPSCs. ⁽⁶⁾

Cost of Stem Cell Treatments in North and South Carolina

While stem cells for long COVID are still being investigated, Dr. Haasis offers stem cells for other indications. The cost of your stem treatments will vary depending on the details of your tailored treatment plan, including the type of treatment Dr. Haasis performs, the severity of your conditions and concerns, the number of treatment sessions you require, and several other factors. During your consultation, Dr. Haasis will provide a comprehensive cost estimate after creating your treatment plan.

To learn more about the cost of your stem cell treatment, please schedule a consultation online or call (864) 775-5682 to reach any of our locations:

References

1. Yuan MQ, Song L, Wang ZR, et al. Long-term outcomes of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in severe COVID-19 patients: 3-year follow-up of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2025;16(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-025-04148-1
2. NIH. Stem Cell Basics. stemcells.nih.gov. Published 2016. https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/stc-basics
3. Wu D, Manhas A, Noishiki C, et al. Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line from a patient with long COVID. Stem Cell Research. 2025;83:103652. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scr.2025.103652
4. Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2023;21(3):1-14. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2
5. León-Moreno LC, Reza-Zaldívar EE, Hernández-Sapiéns MA, et al. Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapies in the Post-Acute Neurological COVID Syndrome: Current Landscape and Opportunities. Biomolecules. 2023;14(1):8-8. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14010008
6. Cappelletti G, Brambilla L, Strizzi S, et al. iPSC ‐derived human cortical organoids display profound alterations of cellular homeostasis following SARS ‐ CoV ‐2 infection and Spike protein exposure. The FASEB Journal. 2025;39(4). doi:https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202401604rrr