Stem Cells in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury: A Review of Currently Registered Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND

Spinal cord injury (SCI) affects around 18,000 individuals annually, representing nearly one-third of all paralysis cases. Stem cell therapy, a focal point in contemporary neuroregeneration research for SCI treatment, holds potential in leveraging undifferentiated stem cells to regenerate damaged tissues. This study seeks to comprehensively analyze current clinical trials exploring the potential use of stem cells in treating spinal cord injuries.

METHODS

A data retrieval approach examined the ClinicalTrials.gov database using the terms "spinal cord injury" and "stem cells." Exclusion criteria eliminated studies not recruiting, terminated prematurely, suspended, withdrawn, or of unknown status. Data for each trial, including ClinicalTrial.gov NCT identifier, title, intervention details, initiation/completion dates, and sample size, were systematically collected. Literature searches on PubMed.gov were conducted for completed trials with results.

RESULTS

Thirty clinical trials were analyzed, with 20 completed and six with published results on PubMed.gov. Interventions included 20 biological (66.7%), 6 procedural (20%), and 4 drug interventions (13.3%). Stem cell sources varied, including bone marrow (46.7%), umbilical cells (20%), adipose tissue (20%), embryonic cells (6.7%), and neural cells (6.7%). Trials spanned 2005 to 2022, with 11 (36.7%) commencing in or after 2017. Among six trials with results, 50% used bone marrow-derived stem cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The promising potential of stem cells in neuroregenerative SCI treatment necessitates further exploration through large-scale, multicenter clinical trials to enhance understanding and guide wider adoption of this emerging treatment paradigm.