Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury with Bone Marrow-Derived, Cultured Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells

A number of animal studies have assessed the neurological benefits of stem cell therapy in spinal cord injury, showing that injected adult stem cells create an environment conducive for axonal regeneration. These studies have also demonstrated the safety of adult stem cell injection Despite these generally positive findings, few human trials have been performed Here, we initiated a clinical pilot study to analyze the effectiveness of autologous mesenchymal stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury in humans using changes in electrophysiological studies and magnetic resonance [magma (M RI) to quantitatively evaluate the results A total of 8 x 10(6) autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were injected into the intramedullary space often cervical cord injured patients, and 4 x 10(7) cells were distributed into the intradural space. During the follow-up period (4 and 8 weeks after the first operation). 5 x 10(7) MSCs were injected by lumbar tapping. Results were evaluated preoperatively and during the third and sixth postoperative month by assessing Frankel/ASIA motor grade, measuring electrophysiological parameters (electromyography. nerve conduction velocity, somatosensory evoked potential, motor evoked potential), and enhanced MRI There were no serious complications or side effects in any of the ten patients treated using the indicated protocol One patient suffered moderate paresthesia during the first 10 months that subsided spontaneously. Six patients exhibited motor power changes: in three of these, performance of daily life tasks was improved Electrophysiological and M RI changes were observed in five and six patients, respectively Direct autologous MSC injection into the spinal cord was safe and caused no additional neurological damage. Furthermore, autologous MSC therapy resulted in neurological improvement, electrophysiological changes, and/or MRI changes in some cervical cord injured patients Additional studies on the use of MSCs for SCI in larger patient populations are warranted to confirm these results.