What Cats May Teach Us About Long COVID
New Cell Therapy Boosts Immune Recovery in Cats With Severe Coronavirus
Feline infectious peritonitis, or FIP, is a serious and historically fatal disease in cats caused by a coronavirus. It behaves in many ways like severe coronavirus infections in humans, causing widespread inflammation, T cell exhaustion and chronic immune dysfunction. Scientists at the University of California, Davis, have found that mesenchymal stromal cells, or MSC therapy, in combination with antiviral drugs, helped cats’ immune systems recover and reduced systemic inflammation. The study was published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine.
“Our findings support the idea that FIP in cats is a useful model for studying long-term immune problems after a viral infection — something that also happens in some people after illnesses like COVID-19,” said corresponding author Amir Kol, associate professor in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “It shows that MSC therapy might not only reduce short-term inflammation but help bring the immune system back into lasting balance.”