Therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells transplantation on hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

Objective: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) hold substantial promise for the treatment of ischemic neurological disease, but few clinical data are currently available about its therapeutic effects in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). This study is to evaluate the effects of hUC-MSCs transplantation on patients with HIE. Methods A total 22 patients with HIEwere randomly divided into hUC-MSCs transplantation group (n = 12) and control group (n = 10). After isolation, hUC-MSCs were cultured for 3 to 5 passages in vitro and then intravenously administered to HIE patients in the transplantation group, while the control group received routine treatment only. The outcomes of HIE patients were evaluated at designated time points by clinical assessment scales, including NIHSS, Barthel Index, MMSE, HAMA(24), HAMD(14) and UPDRS. Results: hUC-MSCs were identified by morphological analysis and flow cytometry assays before clinic transplantation. No significant differences of demographic characteristics were observed between the two groups of subjects. Compared to the control group, hUC-MSCs transplantation markedly improved the outcomes of HIE patients leading to better recovery of neurological function, cognition ability, emotional reaction and extrapyramidal function. No significant adverse effects were found in subjects with hUC-MSCs transplantation during a 180-day follow-up period. Conclusion: These data suggest that hUC-MSCs therapy markedly improves the outcomes of patients with HIE, which is potential for the routine treatment of ischemic neurological disease.