In the summer of 2015, 73 year-old Charles Berniqué found himself ill with what he thought was a case of severe food poisoning. It was more serious than he realised — his esophagus had burst and an infection was rapidly spreading throughout his body.

Doctors soon realised he was suffering from septic shock, which occurs when a severe infection disrupts blood flow to the organs. It can result in organ failure and death.

His only hope was an experimental stem cell treatment that the Ottawa Hospital was involved with. It was a world-first treatment which used a stem cell transplant to help the body fight off the infection causing septic shock.

Septic shock is fairly common in very ill patients. There are more than 100,000 cases of it each year in Canada. Researchers hope the experimental stem cell treatment may lead to a reliable and effective treatment.

Septic shock can begin as a simple bacterial infection that has begun to spread through the body. It causes inflammation, disrupts blood flow and sends the immune system into overdrive.

It is much worse in older people who may have a compromised immune system. The condition has a 20 to 40 percent mortality rate.

The experimental stem cell treatment involved putting the patient into a coma to combat the septic shock. They are then given a dose of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) intravenously. MSCs can reduce inflammation in the body and help tissues heal. 

In the 12 weeks following the treatment, Charles gradually recovered. He left the hospital and has returned to his normal routine.

One of the researchers, Dr. Lauralyn McIntyre, said the experimental stem cell treatment performed as expected: “We had very compelling pre-clinical data that this may work very well.”

If the tests continue to be successful, this treatment could save many thousands of lives each year.

Source: Ottawa Hospital’s Experimental Stem Cell Treatment a World First

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