Clinical feasibility of umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Abstract

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressively debilitating neurological condition in which the immune system abnormally erodes the myelin sheath insulating the nerves. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been used in the last decade to safely treat certain immune and inflammatory conditions.MethodsA safety and feasibility study was completed on the use of umbilical cord MSC (UCMSC) as a treatment for MS. In this 1-year study, consenting subjects received seven intravenous infusions of 20 × 106 UCMSC over 7 days. Efficacy was assessed at baseline, 1 month and 1 year after treatment, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Scripps Neurological Rating Scale, Nine-Hole Peg Test, 25-Foot Walk Test, and RAND Short Form-36 quality of life questionnaire.ResultsTwenty subjects were enrolled in this study. No serious adverse events were reported. Of the mild AEs denoted as possibly related to treatment, most were headache or fatigue. Symptom improvements were most notable 1 month after treatment. Improvements were seen in EDSS scores (p < 0.03), as well as in bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction (p < 0.01), in non-dominant hand average scores (p < 0.01), in walk times (p < 0.02) and general perspective of a positive health change and improved quality of life. MRI scans of the brain and the cervical spinal cord showed inactive lesions in 15/18 (83.3%) subjects after 1 year.ConclusionsTreatment with UCMSC intravenous infusions for subjects with MS is safe, and potential therapeutic benefits should be further investigated.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02034188. Registered Jan 13, 2014. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02034188

Quercetin Combined With Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Regulated Tumour Necrosis Factor-α/Interferon-γ-Stimulated Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells via Activation of Toll-Like Receptor 3 Signalling

“…Another property of MSCs is their anti-infl ammatory and immunosuppressive effects. A large number of preclinical studies (Alunno et al, 2015;Yang et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2017) and clinical studies (Dahbour and Jamali, 2017;Riordan et al, 2018;Zhang et al, 2018) have shown that MSCs considerably alleviate symptoms of autoimmune diseases. Compared with stem cells from other sources, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells possess advantages, including rapid, non-invasive harvest procedures, easy expansion in vitro, and ethical access; additionally, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells exhibit robust immunosuppressive functions (Jin et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2016).…”

Potential of mesenchymal stem cells alone, or in combination, to treat traumatic brain injury

“…The preclinical data on MSCs both alone and in conjunction with other treatment strategies are promising. These cells have entered at least Phase I (safety) clinical trials for multiple nervous system diseases and injuries, most notably cerebral ischemia, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and TBI . While we have a better understanding of the pathologic cascades triggered after TBI and the mechanisms by which MSCs repair the brain and improve functional outcomes, we are still years away from realizing an effective regenerative medicine therapy for TBI that is widely available to patients.…”

Short and Long Term Clinical and Immunologic Follow up after Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis—A Phase I Study

“…The experience of allogenic MSC therapy in MS is very limited. A few reports have shown promising results of allogenic umbilical cord (UC) MSC therapy in MS [57]. Allogenic UC MSC may enable a more accessible and practical supply of cells for infusion compared to allogenic BM MSC.…”