Safety and neurological assessments after autologous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in subjects with chronic spinal cord injury

Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2014 · DOI: 10.1186/scrt516 · Published: November 17, 2014

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine

Simple Explanation

This study explores using a patient's own stem cells to treat chronic spinal cord injuries. Mesenchymal stem cells, easily taken from bone marrow, are injected into the damaged spinal cord. The goal is to see if this treatment is safe and if it can improve the patient's condition. Researchers conducted a trial on 14 individuals with long-term spinal cord injuries. They monitored the patients' sensory and motor functions, pain levels, and bladder control before and after the stem cell transplant to check for any improvements or side effects. The findings suggest that stem cell transplantation is a safe procedure. Some patients experienced improvements in touch sensitivity, motor skills, and bladder function, indicating potential benefits of this therapy for spinal cord injuries.

Study Duration

6 Months

Participants

14 subjects with chronic traumatic SCI

Evidence Level

Phase I, non-controlled study

Key Findings

1
The study found that transplanting bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the injured spinal cord was generally a safe procedure for individuals with chronic, complete spinal cord injury.
2
Many subjects showed improvements in tactile sensitivity after the procedure, with some regaining motor function in their lower limbs.
3
A statistically significant correlation was observed between improvements in neurological function and both the size and level of the spinal cord injury.

Research Summary

This study investigated the safety and potential effectiveness of using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from a patient’s own bone marrow to treat chronic spinal cord injuries (SCI). The study found the transplantation of MSCs to be a safe and feasible procedure, with patients showing variable improvements in tactile sensitivity and some regaining motor function. Seven subjects presented sacral sparing and improved American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) grades to B or C – incomplete injury. The researchers concluded that intralesional transplantation of autologous mesenchymal stem cells is a safe and potentially effective treatment for chronic SCI, warranting further investigation through larger, controlled clinical trials.

Practical Implications

Potential Therapeutic Strategy

Autologous MSC transplantation shows promise as a therapeutic strategy for chronic SCI, offering a potential means to improve neurological outcomes.

Personalized Treatment

The study underscores the importance of considering individual injury characteristics (size and level) when applying cell therapy for SCI, suggesting a need for personalized treatment approaches.

Further Research

The positive outcomes warrant further investigation through larger, controlled clinical trials to confirm the benefits and optimize the application of MSC therapy for SCI.

Study Limitations

1
Non-controlled study design
2
Small sample size
3
Urodynamic data not properly collected due to recurrent urinary infection in some subjects

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