AaPRP ( autologous activated platelet-rich plasma ) therapy to treat COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms is currently being discussed.
How does this therapy for COVID work? How effective is aaPRP therapy in treating the disease caused by the coronavirus? Check out the doctor’s explanation below.
Getting to Know aaPRP Therapy
aaPRP therapy was introduced by dr. Karina F Moegni, SpBP. Through the International Journal of Inflammation quoted from Hindawi , Karina and the research team revealed that aaPRP is a promising adjunct therapy for positive patients with severe symptoms of the corona virus.
Through Clinical Trials.gov , Karina explained that aaPRP produces anti-inflammatory effects, as well as tissue regeneration. AaPRP therapy is then used to treat the cytokine storm caused by the coronavirus infection.
COVID-19 is known to increase the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are basically one of the proteins that play a role in the immune system.
This protein is normally in charge of helping the coordination of the immune system against viral and bacterial infections. However, in COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms, cytokines are actually produced in excess. This causes a cytokine storm.
A cytokine storm is an over-response of the body’s immune system in the face of infection. This condition causes severe inflammation that actually harms the body.
Cytokine storm is one of the causes of death of patients caused by coronavirus with severe and critical symptoms.
To overcome the cytokine storm, Karina and the team tested aaPRP therapy on 10 COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms from the Koja Regional General Hospital, North Jakarta.
All patients were treated in the intensive care unit (ICU). They received aaPRP therapy three times.
AaPRP therapy is done by taking the patient’s blood. Then the protein from the platelets (platelets) is separated using a special tool.
The platelet protein is then put back into the patient’s body. The process is carried out through intravenous fluids.
Karina said, platelets contain thousands of types of protein. One of the proteins in it has anti-inflammatory properties that are useful in overcoming cytokine storms in COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms.
In addition, platelets also contain building proteins that can repair cells damaged by corona virus infection.
Through a phase I/II clinical trial study, the study claims that aaPRP therapy is safe to use and does not cause serious side effects in COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms.
PRP ( platelet-rich plasma ) is said to reduce the expression of inflammatory genes IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNFα.
PRP also reduces the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNFα. In addition, PRP is also said to contain interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) which is nothing but an anti-inflammatory cytokine that suppresses IL-6 secretion.
In other words, preliminary research results reveal that aaPRP therapy can control inflammation and increase tissue regeneration after corona virus infection.
Responding to the research results, dr. Arina Heidyana said the effectiveness of aaPRP therapy to treat COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms has yet to be ascertained.
“This AaPRP is still very limited, the research is still one and it is still in clinical trials. So its effectiveness has not been confirmed for COVID patients,” he said.
Difference between aaPRP and Convalescent Plasma Therapy
Although both use blood, aaPRP therapy is different from convalescent plasma.
Convalescent plasma therapy is carried out by donating blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors who have recovered to corona virus positive patients.
The blood plasma of coronavirus survivors contains antibodies. Antibodies are formed in response to the body when infected with a virus.
While aaPRP uses blood platelet protein from and for the patient himself.
According to dr. Arina, convalescent plasma therapy is more risky to do than aaPRP therapy.
“Because (convalescent therapy) uses other people’s blood, so that the transfusion reaction still exists even though they are from the same blood group,” said dr. Ariana.
So, therapy for COVID with the aaPRP method has not been proven to be effective in treating patients with severe symptoms of coronavirus. Further studies on a large scale are still needed to determine the effectiveness of aaPRP therapy.