Stem cells in the treatment of chronic spinal cord injury: evaluation of somatosensitive evoked potentials in 39 patients

• Published in: Spinal cord 2009-10, Vol.47 (10), p.733-738
• Main Authors: Cristante, A F, Barros-Filho, T E P, Tatsui, N, Mendrone, A, Caldas, J G, Camargo, A, Alexandre, A, J Teixeira, W G, Oliveira, R P, Marcon, R M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Afferent Pathways - physiology; Anatomy; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Separation - methods; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Electrodiagnosis - methods; Electrophysiology; Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory - physiology; Female; Human Physiology; Humans; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Nerve Regeneration - physiology; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; original-article; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation - methods; Prospective Studies; Recovery of Function - physiology; Somatosensory Cortex - physiology; Spinal Cord Injuries - diagnosis; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Spinal Cord Injuries - surgery; Stem Cells - cytology; Stem Cells - physiology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sc.2009.24

Study design: A prospective, non-randomized clinical series trial. Objective: To evaluate the effect of autogenous undifferentiated stem cell infusion for the treatment of patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) on somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs). Setting: A public tertiary hospital in São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive patients with diagnosed complete cervical and thoracic SCI for at least 2 years and with no cortical response in the SSEP study of the lower limbs were included in the trial. The trial patients underwent peripheral blood stem cell mobilization and collection. The stem cell concentrate was cryopreserved and reinfused through arteriography into the donor patient. The patients were followed up for 2.5 years and submitted to SSEP studies to evaluate the improvement in SSEPs after undifferentiated cell infusion. Results: Twenty-six (66.7%) patients showed recovery of somatosensory evoked response to peripheral stimuli after 2.5 years of follow-up. Conclusion: The 2.5-year trial protocol proved to be safe and improved SSEPs in patients with complete SCI. Sponsorship: None.