Evaluation of single-dose umbilical cord blood-derived mononuclear cell injection immediately and 7 days after spinal cord trauma in mice

Clinics, 2025 · DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinsp.2025.100579 · Published: January 1, 2025

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine

Simple Explanation

This study explores the use of stem cells from umbilical cord blood to treat spinal cord injuries in mice. Researchers injected these cells into mice with spinal cord injuries and observed the effects on tissue repair and motor function recovery. The stem cell-treated groups showed reduced tissue damage in the spinal cord compared to the control groups. However, there were no significant differences in motor function recovery between the treated and control groups. The findings suggest that while umbilical cord blood stem cells can help reduce tissue damage, they may not significantly improve motor function recovery in the acute phases of spinal cord injury in mice.

Study Duration

6 weeks

Participants

40 male Balb C mice

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Umbilical cord blood-derived mononuclear cells-treated groups exhibited significant reductions in necrosis, hemorrhage, and degeneration compared to controls.
2
Motor recovery showed partial improvement across all groups, with no statistically significant differences in scales between intervention and control groups.
3
The levels of necrosis, hemorrhage, and degeneration were statistically different among the groups (p < 0.05), while the degree of hyperemia and infiltration did not show statistically significant differences between the groups

Research Summary

This study evaluated the use of human umbilical cord blood-derived mononuclear cells (UCB-MNCs) in treating spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice, focusing on histological changes and motor function recovery. The UCB-MNC treated groups showed significant histological improvements, including reduced necrosis, hemorrhage, and degeneration, compared to the control groups. Despite histological improvements, there were no statistically significant differences in motor function recovery between the treated and control groups, suggesting limited functional enhancement in the acute phases of SCI.

Practical Implications

Histological Improvement

UCB-MNCs can positively impact the histological parameters of spinal cord injuries, potentially reducing tissue damage.

Limited Functional Recovery

The study suggests that UCB-MNCs alone may not be sufficient for significant functional recovery in the acute phases of SCI.

Further Research

Further studies are needed to explore combination therapies or alternative delivery methods to enhance functional outcomes.

Study Limitations

1
Lack of significant functional improvement despite histological benefits.
2
The study used a mouse model, which may not fully translate to human outcomes.
3
Limited investigation into the long-term effects of UCB-MNC treatment.

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