Effects of Combined Intrathecal Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Schwann Cells Transplantation on Neuropathic Pain in Complete Spinal Cord Injury: A Phase II Randomized Active-Controlled Trial

This study investigates a new treatment for neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). The treatment involves injecting a combination of Schwann cells (SCs) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into the spinal fluid. The study found that this cell therapy significantly reduced pain and improved the quality of life for patients with complete SCI. Patients reported less interference of pain with daily activities, mood, and sleep. These findings suggest that combined cell therapy could be a promising option for managing neuropathic pain in SCI patients. Further research is needed to explore combining this therapy with other existing treatments.

• 1
  Significant reductions were observed in pain interference with daily activities, mood, and sleep in the treatment group compared to the control group after 6 months.
• 2
  The treatment group showed significant reductions in pain frequency, mean pain intensity, and worst pain intensity scores compared to the control group after 6 months.
• 3
  Multiple regression analysis indicated that the cell therapy treatment was significantly associated with improvements in pain and quality of life, even after controlling for other factors.