A Pilot Clinical Study of Olfactory Mucosa Autograft for Chronic Complete Spinal Cord Injury

This study explores a new treatment for spinal cord injuries using a patient's own olfactory (smell-related) tissue. The olfactory mucosa allows autologous transplantation and can easily be obtained by a simple biopsy. The researchers transplanted olfactory mucosa into the injured spinal cords of eight patients with chronic complete spinal cord injury. The goal was to see if this could help the spinal cord regenerate and improve function. The study found that the procedure was safe and showed potential benefits, with some patients experiencing improvements in motor function and spinal cord injury scale. We show the feasibility of OMA for chronic complete spinal cord injury.

• 1
  The olfactory mucosa autograft (OMA) procedure was found to be safe, with no serious adverse events reported in any of the eight patients.
• 2
  Five out of the eight patients showed improvement in motor function below the level of injury after OMA transplantation.
• 3
  One patient showed motor evoked potentials (MEPs), indicating improved conductivity in the central nervous system, including the corticospinal tract.