Tissue engineering and autologous stem cells in severe SCI treatment in humans

A. S. Bryukhovetskiy, V. N. Yaryghin, V. B. Karakhan, A. V. Lavrentyev, G. L. Mentkevich, I. Dolgopolov, V. Polyakov, V. Chekhonin, E. Savchenko, V. Sevastyanov, N. Perova and A. Y. Zaytsev
NeuroVita Clinic of Restorative and Interventional Neurology and Therapy; Russian State Medical University; Russian Oncology Research Centre; State Research Centre of Social and Forensic Psychiatry; Research Institute of Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Moscow, Russia

Objective: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

Methods: Six patients (first group) with severe SCI, two with complete SCI with diastases of 5 and 8 cm, received reconstructive-restorative spinal surgery, which included laminec-tomy, radiculomyelolysis, spinal cyst draining, implantation of biodegradable polymer scaffold and autologous stem (neural or hemopoietic) cells to cyst or diastasis. Five patients of group 2 received intrathecal transfusions of autologous stem cells (three - hemopoietic and two - neural). Control group of ten patients received laminectomy, radiculomyelosis and spinal cyst draining. Treatment data were confirmed by ASIA, FIM, MRI, urodynamic tests, SCF and blood tests, ENMG etc. Patients were followed up for six months. No complications occured after surgery.

Results: First group: no neurological status progress - 3 cases, recovery of pelvic organs' control - 3 cases, recovery of seg-mental sensitivity - 3 cases, considerable motor and independence progress - 3 cases. Second group: gait function restored - one case (2.5 years after injury), motion and sensitivity progress - 3 cases, partial or complete recovery ot pelvic organs' control - 4 cases. Control group: insufficient sensitivity recovery - 2 cases.

Conclusions: The suggested protocol offers hope for improvement of SCI patient's life quality