Phase 1 Safety Trial of Autologous Human Schwann Cell Transplantation in Chronic Spinal Cord Injury

This study explored the safety of transplanting a patient's own Schwann cells into the damaged spinal cord in people with long-term spinal cord injuries. Schwann cells are a type of cell that can help to repair nerve damage. The researchers took a small piece of nerve from the participants, grew Schwann cells in the lab, and then injected them into the injury site in the spinal cord. Participants also underwent a special rehabilitation program before and after the cell transplant. The main goal was to see if this treatment was safe and if it could potentially improve function in people with chronic spinal cord injuries. The study looked at both complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries in the neck and chest areas.

• 1
  The study demonstrated that transplanting autologous human Schwann cells into chronic spinal cord injuries is feasible and appears to be safe.
• 2
  One participant experienced a notable improvement in motor and sensory function after the cell transplant and rehabilitation.
• 3
  MRI scans showed a reduction in cyst volume in some participants after transplantation, although this effect decreased over time.