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CLINICAL TRIAL article

Front. Med.
Sec. Gene and Cell Therapy
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1451297
This article is part of the Research Topic Emerging Evidence of Cell-Based Therapies for Non-malignant and Non-genetic Diseases View all articles

Transplantation of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells in complete cervical spinal cord injury: a pilot study

Provisionally accepted
Carolina T. Macêdo Carolina T. Macêdo 1,2,3Bruno S. Souza Bruno S. Souza 1,2,4Cristiane F. Villarreal Cristiane F. Villarreal 1,5Daniela N. Silva Daniela N. Silva 1,3Kátia N. da Silva Kátia N. da Silva 1,4Clarissa L. de Souza Clarissa L. de Souza 1,2Daniela d. Paixão Daniela d. Paixão 1Milena d. Bezerra Milena d. Bezerra 1Antonio O. Moura Costa Antonio O. Moura Costa 2Eduardo S. Brazão Eduardo S. Brazão 2Josildo P. Marins Filho Josildo P. Marins Filho 2Andre C. Matos Andre C. Matos 2Ricardo R. Dos Santos Ricardo R. Dos Santos 1,3,6Milena B. Soares Milena B. Soares 1,3,6*
  • 1 Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Salvador, Brazil
  • 2 Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
  • 3 Senai Chemical and Textile Industry Technology Center (SENAI CETIQT), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 4 Hospital São Rafael, Centro de Biotecnologia e Terapia Celular, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
  • 5 Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
  • 6 National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious condition that can lead to partial or complete paraplegia or tetraplegia. Currently, there are few therapeutic options for these conditions, which are mainly directed toward the acute phase, such as surgical intervention and high-dose steroid administration. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) have been shown to improve neurological function following spinal cord injury. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and potential efficacy of MSC transplantation in patients with cervical traumatic SCI.We included seven subjects with chronic traumatic SCI (> 1 year) at the cervical level, classified as American Spinal Cord Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) grade A. Subjects received two doses of autologous bone marrow derived MSC, the first by direct injection into the lesion site after hemilaminectomy and the second three months later by intrathecal injection. Neurologic evaluation, spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), urodynamics, and life quality questionnaires were assessed before and after treatment.Results: Cell transplantation was safe without severe or moderate adverse effects, and the procedures were well tolerated. Neurological evaluation revealed discrete improvements in sensitivity below the lesion level, following treatment. Five subjects showed some degree of bilateral sensory improvement for both superficial and deep mechanical stimuli compared to the pretreatment profile. No significant alterations in bladder function were observed during this study.Transplantation of autologous MSC in patients with chronic cervical SCI is a safe and feasible procedure. Further studies are required to confirm the efficacy of this therapeutic approach.

    Keywords: stem cell, spinal cord injury, cellular therapy, Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), tetraplegia

    Received: 19 Jun 2024; Accepted: 29 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Macêdo, Souza, Villarreal, Silva, da Silva, de Souza, Paixão, Bezerra, Moura Costa, Brazão, Marins Filho, Matos, Dos Santos and Soares. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Milena B. Soares, Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Salvador, Brazil

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.