Summary:
A new clinical study shows that neural stem cell transplant may help manage spinal cord injuries. This latest study found that stem cell therapy improved motor and sensory function and reduced pain scores in those living with the injury.
Globally, more than 15 million people are living with spinal cord injury (SCI). To date, it is one of the most difficult to manage conditions. Many of those who have experienced SCI are living with paralysis and compromised motor and sensory functions. Some are also living with severe chronic pain.
At present, there is no known effective treatment to cure these patients. There is no surgical method that can revive movement or reverse paralysis. Even if there are some methods, they work in a small number of cases. Similarly, managing sensory changes associated with the condition is also challenging, and they may range from complete loss of sensation to chronic pain.
However, science has long been experimenting with various regenerative methods. One of the well-known methods in regenerative medicine is the use of stem cells. These special kinds of cells can be converted into different cells, including nerve cells, and they also produce bioactive compounds that promote healing.
Now, one of the new studies shows that stem cell transplant may be one of the viable and effective ways of treating these patients. These findings are highly encouraging, considering that science has become much better at extracting and modulating stem cells over the years.
Now, science knows that stem cells are present in most body tissues, and many of these may serve as their source. Moreover, many of these stem cells can be replicated in laboratories, thus providing ample supply, and enabling their widespread use in medicine.
Stem cells have almost magical properties since they can readily be converted to different body tissues. So, if they are transplanted into the nervous system, then under the influence of specific signaling molecules, they may get converted into nerve cells and promote the growth of other nerve cells.
The researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine did this new phase I study. Since it was a phase I study, its primary focus was safety and not effectiveness. But, still, its secondary purpose was to see its effectiveness.
Researchers are highly encouraged by these early findings since their study was successful, as SCI patients tolerated stem cell transplants well. Since it was a phase I study, it was done only in four patients who were followed up for five years after the procedure.
Researchers noted that over the years, all of them reported some improvement in motor and sensory functions. Further, their electromyography (EMG) scores also improved, showing the therapy worked. All the patients also reported improvement in pain scores.
Overall, researchers concluded that stem cell therapy could potentially treat spinal cord injuries. Since these early results are encouraging, they plan to start phase II clinical trials. Phase II clinical trials have a prime focus on treatment efficacy and have a much bigger sample size.
So, this is good news for those living with spinal cord injuries. In the future, these regenerative techniques may be explored to manage other health issues like neuropathies, chronic pains, and even low back pain.
Martin, J. R., Cleary, D., Abraham, M. E., Mendoza, M., Cabrera, B., Jamieson, C., Marsala, M., & Ciacci, J. D. (2024). Long-term clinical and safety outcomes from a single-site phase 1 study of neural stem cell transplantation for chronic thoracic spinal cord injury. Cell Reports Medicine, 5(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101841
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
