Using somewhat controversial stem cell therapy, a joint team of Japanese and American researchers successfully repaired some damage in 13 patients with spinal cord injuries (SCI).
Often, SCI can cause permanent loss of movement and physical sensation due to the resulting nerve damage. Although physical rehabilitation programs can partially improve results, real treatment and recovery of lost mobility and function is almost impossible. So far, maybe.
According to new results from a phase 2 clinical trial conducted in an experimental collaboration by scientists in Japan and the United States, patients treated with an intravenous infusion of their own mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), harvested from their bone marrow, saw significant functional improvements.
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MSCs are adult stem cells with the incredible ability to transform into many different types of cells, giving them the ability to repair different tissues in the human body, ranging from bones and cartilage to muscles or other tissues.
In 2018, Japan accelerated commercial approval of the treatment, opting to forgo full testing and regulatory approval, despite the lack of complete data on its safety and effectiveness. This was to the dismay of the medical industry in general and caused considerable controversy in the process.
Proceed to the present day and the therapy, called Stemirac, can be revolutionary in the treatment of non-penetrative SCI, in which the spinal cord is damaged, but remains intact.
In the trials, all 13 patients demonstrated improvements in sensory and motor function six months after receiving their infusion, while more than 50 percent of participants saw substantial improvements in motor function, including walking in one day, although for others it took weeks.
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“The idea that we may be able to restore function after a brain and spinal cord injury using the patient’s own stem cells has puzzled us for years,” explains neurologist Stephen Waxman of Yale University, senior author of the study.
“Now we have a hint, in humans, that it might be possible.”
Other research has examined the effectiveness of injected MSCs to treat SCI, but this new method involves intravenous infusion, which works differently and, so far, has no adverse effects. Still, the researchers recognize the limited scope of the trial, as well as the fact that it is blind and uncontrolled.
“It is important to note that intravenously infused MSCs can affect not only the injury site, but other parts of the central nervous system, including the brain and blood vessels.” the authors explain in their article.
For now, they suspect that stem cells secrete neural growth factors, particularly the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which has a restorative and also anti-inflammatory effect. While much more research is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of long-term treatment, it may one day prove to be revolutionary.
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