A spinal cord injury (SCI) occurs when there is damage to the spinal cord, resulting in a disruption of communication between the brain and the rest of the body. This can lead to a range of symptoms, including loss of movement and sensation below the level of injury, as well as bladder and bowel dysfunction. SCI can be caused by trauma, such as accidents or falls, or by diseases like tumors or degenerative conditions.
A Mayo Clinic study shows stem cells derived from patients’ own fat are safe and may improve sensation and movement after traumatic spinal cord injuries.
Application of MSCs may minimize secondary injury to the spinal cord and protect the neural elements that survived the initial mechanical insult by suppressing the inflammation. Additionally, MSCs have been shown to differentiate into neuron-like cells and stimulate neural stem cell proliferation to rebuild the damaged nerve tissue.
These characteristics are crucial for the restoration of spinal cord function upon SCI as damaged cord has limited regenerative capacity and it is also something that cannot be achieved by pharmacological and physiotherapy interventions. New biological therapies including stem cell secretome therapy, immunotherapy and scaffolds can be combined with MSC therapy to enhance its therapeutic effects.
View the Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7510077/
