Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 11 Nov 2026. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.
The claim
Posts online say that stem cell treatment helps with long COVID and ME/CFS.
Where research stands
We found 21 published papers on stem cell treatment and long COVID and ME/CFS. They were published between 2018 and 2026. None of them is a study in people. None was a study in animals, and 2 were only in cells in the lab. 4 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 1 new study in people is running or will start soon, says the trial register ClinicalTrials.gov.
- 0In people
- 0In animals
- 2Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
Stem cell treatment has been studied for long COVID and ME/CFS only in cells in the lab.
Unproven means: it was only tested in animals or cells, or there is too little or mixed data from people. How we rate claims
What this means for you: Results in animals or in cells often do not hold in people. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- The Role of Dental-derived Stem Cell-based Therapy and Their Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome-induced Tissue Damage.2024 · Stem Cell Rev Rep · Review
- Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapies in the Post-Acute Neurological COVID Syndrome: Current Landscape and Opportunities.2023 · Biomolecules · Review
- Immunomodulation and Regenerative Capacity of MSCs for Long-COVID.2021 · Int J Mol Sci · Review
- Post-COVID pulmonary fibrosis: therapeutic efficacy using with mesenchymal stem cells - How the lung heals.2021 · Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci · Review
- A pilot study of nebulized 3D-cultured mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for the treatment of post-COVID-19 chronic cough.2026 · Front Med (Lausanne) · In the lab
- Generation of induced pluripotent stem cell line from a patient with long COVID.2025 · Stem Cell Res · In the lab
- Stem Cell Educator Therapy for Ex Vivo Immune Modulation of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Patients with Long COVID.2026 · J Vis Exp · Other paper
- Mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for post-COVID-19 syndrome: associated impact and mechanism.2026 · J Transl Med · Other paper
- Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation improves the long COVID.2024 · J Med Virol · Other paper
- Circulating haematopoietic stem cells and long-term outcomes of COVID-19.2024 · Eur J Clin Invest · Other paper
