Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 12, 2026 3 hours, 31 minutes ago
Medical News: A hopeful new path for exhausted long COVID patients
A groundbreaking clinical trial is offering rare optimism to millions struggling with long COVID fatigue. The phase IIa study tested an experimental cord blood–based cell therapy called REGENECYTE and found that it significantly reduced tiredness and restored energy levels in people whose lives had been stalled for months after infection.
Cord blood cell therapy brought meaningful, lasting relief to long COVID patients battling severe fatigue
This
Medical News report focuses on patients who had endured long-running symptoms for six to eighteen months, with no relief from current treatments and little direction from existing care guidelines.
The trial was led by teams from StemCyte Taiwan Co Ltd New Taipei City Taiwan, StemCyte Inc Baldwin Park California USA, and City of Hope Duarte California USA. Thirty adults aged 18–65 in the United States were enrolled. Every participant had a documented history of COVID-19, ongoing symptoms and a negative infection test before starting treatment. Fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, insomnia and headaches were the most common complaints.
To test whether REGENECYTE could make a difference, patients were randomly assigned in a two-to-one split to receive either cord blood therapy or placebo saline. Each person received three intravenous infusions—one every three weeks—followed by 20 weeks of close monitoring. REGENECYTE contains cord blood cells that may reduce inflammation, rebalance the immune system and support tissue repair.
Strong and lasting reductions in fatigue
The biggest medical impact was on fatigue, measured using the respected Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire. Patients who received REGENECYTE saw sudden and steady improvements after their first infusion. By week 26, many had moved back into “normal” or near-normal energy ranges, while the placebo group saw far smaller gains.
Physical fatigue—difficulty completing daily tasks or staying active—improved most dramatically. Mental fatigue, such as concentration problems and short-term memory lapses, also eased over time. Only two treated patients developed mild, short-lived reactions at the infusion site. No serious side-effects were found, and all participants completed the full course.
People also felt better in daily life
Quality-of-life surveys backed up the fatigue findings. REGENECYTE patients reported being able to return to work routines, household activities and hobbies that had previously felt impossible. They also experienced less pain, calmer moods and a stronger sense of wellbeing.
Some measures—frailty and cognitive testing—showed smaller changes, though the trends still favored the treatment group.
Why these findings matter
Long COVID remains one of the most frustrating medical issues to emerge from the pandemic. There is no
approved medicine, and standard care often focuses only on pacing and coping strategies. The possibility of a targeted treatment could transform life for millions who fear never recovering.
Conclusion
Although the trial involved a small number of patients, the results are unusually encouraging in a field defined by uncertainty. The sustained drop in fatigue combined with a clean safety record suggests that cord blood–based therapy may soon play a major role in long COVID care. If larger studies confirm these findings, REGENECYTE could become the first treatment to reliably restore energy and functioning to patients trapped in long-term post-viral illness. Researchers also believe the same approach may eventually benefit people with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and other persistent inflammatory syndromes that leave patients exhausted and overlooked.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: eClinicalMedicine.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589537025006728
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