An Observational Study of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived Stem Cells Transplantation in Seven Patients with Nervous System Diseases: A 2-Year Follow-Up

Currently, autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell is one of the most innovative areas of stem cells research. Previous studies on animal models of nervous system diseases have shown that these cells have a good effect on nervous system disorders. The alternative treatment with stem cells for the nervous system diseases has also gradually reached to clinical application stage. The prospect is captivating, but the safety and efficacy of this procedure need further research. To observe the clinical efficacy and side effects of the treatment for autologous mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem/progenitor cells which are in differentiated form by inducing with cerebrospinal fluid in the patients with nervous system diseases, thirty patients were selected from our hospital (2009-10 to 2012-07) and were followed at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after the treatment with autologous mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem/progenitor cells in differentiated form was introduced. In this paper, we will introduce the process to make cells accessible for the clinical application by the description of the changes observed in 7 cases were followed for 2 years. The time for bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells could be available for clinical needs is as early as 5 days, not later than 10 days, and the median time is 8 days, while neural stem/progenitor cells in differentiated form can be available for clinical needs in as early as 12 days, not later than 15 days, and the median time is 13.5 days (statistical explanation: Case 5 only uses autologous mesenchymal stem cells, and Case 7 has two times bone marrow punctures). The neurological function of the patients was improved in 1-month follow-up, and the patients have a better discontinuous trend (statistical explanation: sometimes the neurological function of the patients between two adjacent follow-ups does not change significantly). After transplantation, four patients appeared to have transient fever, but it was easily controlled by symptomatic treatment. Seven patients did not appear to show secondary tumor induced by transplantation of stem cells in 2-year follow-up. Thus, it suggests that the use of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells transplantation in patients with nervous system diseases is a feasible, convenient, safe, and effective method.