Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies for treating well-studied neurological disorders: a systematic review

This systematic review investigates the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat neurological conditions like ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, and Traumatic Brain Injury. It focuses on the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of MSC therapies based on published clinical trials. The review analyzed 43 clinical trials using MSCs derived from various sources, including the patient's own bone marrow or tissue, or from umbilical cords. The MSCs were administered through different routes, such as intravenous infusion or injection into the spinal cord. The study found that MSC transplantation is generally safe and tolerable, with common adverse events being mild, such as fever or pain at the injection site. However, some studies reported deaths attributed to the progression of the underlying disease, not the treatment.

• 1
  The review of 43 studies showed that MSC transplantation is generally considered safe and tolerable, with the most common adverse events being mild, such as fever, headache, or pain at the injection site.
• 2
  Three studies reported a 100% improvement rate, but the sample sizes were small (10 or fewer patients). Thirteen other studies had an improvement rate higher than or equal to 50%, but with the same limitation of low sample size.
• 3
  Eight studies showed no improvement, and 13 studies did not mention improvement scores, focusing solely on the safety and tolerability of cell administration.