Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped, positive sense, single stranded RNA (+ssRNA) virus, belonging to the genus Betacoronavirus and family Coronaviridae. It is primarily transmitted from infected persons to healthy ones through inhalation of virus-laden respiratory droplets. After an average incubation period of 2–14 days, the majority of infected individuals remain asymptomatic and/or mildly symptomatic, whereas the remaining individuals manifest a myriad of clinical symptoms, including fever, sore throat, dry cough, fatigue, chest pain, and breathlessness. SARS-CoV-2 exploits the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptor for cellular invasion, and lungs are amongst the most adversely affected organs in the body. Thereupon, immune responses are elicited, which may devolve into a cytokine storm characterized by enhanced secretion of multitude of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and growth factors, such as interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-9, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (bFGF2), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP1), interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP10), macrophage inflammatory protein 1A (MIP1A), platelet-derived growth factor subunit B (PDGFB), and vascular endothelial factor (VEGF)-A. The systemic persistence of inflammatory molecules causes widespread histological injury, leading to functional deterioration of the infected organ(s). Although multiple treatment modalities with varying effectiveness are being employed, nevertheless, there is no curative COVID-19 therapy available to date. In this regard, one plausible supportive therapeutic modality may involve administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and/or MSC-derived bioactive factors-based secretome to critically ill COVID-19 patients with the intention of accomplishing better clinical outcome owing to their empirically established beneficial effects. MSCs are well established adult stem cells (ASCs) with respect to their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, pro-angiogenic, and pro-regenerative properties. The immunomodulatory capabilities of MSCs are not constitutive but rather are highly dependent on a holistic niche. Following intravenous infusion, MSCs are known to undergo considerable histological trapping in the lungs and, therefore, become well positioned to directly engage with lung infiltrating immune cells, and thereby mitigate excessive inflammation and reverse/regenerate damaged alveolar epithelial cells and associated tissue post SARS-CoV-2 infection. Considering the myriad of abovementioned biologically beneficial properties and emerging translational insights, MSCs may be used as potential supportive therapy to counteract cytokine storms and reduce disease severity, thereby facilitating speedy recovery and health restoration.

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ACVD) is one of the leading causes of death throughout the world. ACVD is inflammatory and occurs due to the deposition of lipids in the arterial lumen. The increasing trend of ACVD can be attributed to the sedentary lifestyle and it is imperative to investigate the causes of ACVD and their prevention. The human gut hosts an enormous diversity of microbes. This enormous microbial community inhabiting the human gut are responsible for several conditions associated with ACVD and plays a crucial role in its progression. Different methods for studying gut microflora have been developed, which has led to the discovery of dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is the change in homeostasis of the microfloral community. Several external factors are responsible for the dysbiosis including diet, mode of delivery, age, sex, body mass index, host genetics, and antibiotic usage. Dysbiosis results in the release of altered amounts of some bioactive metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), bile acids, and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) which can be a contributing factor in the progression of atherosclerosis. This review will enlist the role of dysbiosis of gut microbiota in atherogenicity and their relevant applications in its prevention. With an adequate understanding of the process involved in gut microbiota dysbiosis, scientists worldwide can develop potential therapeutics for ACVD.