Two 60-year-old patients overcome Covid-19 in just one week with a childhood cancer cell therapy

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Two elderly patients with

, a woman and a man

, have been discharged from hospital in just 6 and 8 days within a clinical trial of the CRIS Unit for Research and Advanced Therapies of La Paz to adapt to patients with

a cell therapy that is used in childhood cancer patients.

Both presented the typical symptoms of the

as

, and have evolved favorably and quickly.

Although the trial is not designed in this early phase to respond to efficacy,

.

"It is a trial that is already underway, two adults have been infused and both have recovered soon,

without the need for oxygen with a very striking and early recovery. It is still too early for talk about efficacy, but we can talk about adequate tolerance. For the therapeutic effect,

still

. Therefore, we need financial help to be able to speed up and finish this trial and that the maximum number benefit patients and save lives. We know that the vaccine will take time and will have its limitations and today, there are no effective treatments and that this type of cellular immunotherapy approach that is useful and works in children with bone marrow transplantation can be transferred to patients with

", comments the head of Pediatric Hematology of

and director of the

Antonio Pérez Martínez.

This Phase I clinical trial, which

proposes to extract a special type of

(cells of the immune system specialized in destroying infected and tumor cells) from patients recovered from

and infuse them into new patients. infected, who will recover much faster and with minimal side effects.

"What is sought is to transfer a therapy that we apply in childhood cancer transplants, apply it to

. It occurred to us because we have found that T lymphocytes that make memory against Covid could act in the same way as T lymphocytes with memory in other infections in the context of transplantation. We have previous experience in other infectious contexts of its safety and efficacy, and now we want to see it in

.

when there is still no effective treatment and there is no vaccine. a passive adoptive immunotherapy ", details Pérez-Martínez.

Walking human drugs

That is to say, recovered patients become 'walking human drugs' for the newly diagnosed and the more donors there are of

, the greater the population range can be covered with the creation of this

since it is also necessary to take into account, among other aspects, the compatibility between donor and recipient.

Dolores, a 59-year-old from Madrid, was the first patient in this clinical trial.

"The doctors explained to me this therapy for childhood cancer adapted to cure

patients

and I did not hesitate for a second. I was not afraid because I trusted the doctors.

"he explains.

The first donor in this trial is an operating room nurse from La Paz with more than 20 years of experience in hospital service.

, 40, suffered from

in March.

After "a roller coaster of pain, gastroenteritis and severe migraines," he returned to the hospital, signed up as a volunteer for another

on April 22, and learned about the trial led by Antonio Pérez at his own center.

"He explained to me how they were going to adapt this cell therapy applied in childhood oncology against

. They told me that I was an ideal donor for HLA antigens and I answered that they could count on me for whatever it took. I was delighted to be able to help. Also From my extraction, which lasted about four hours, they told me that

. Research is essential and being able to help is very gratifying. When I shared it with my colleagues in the operating room, they all told me they wanted to sign up. help raise awareness and save lives ", he concludes.

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