New research published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy demonstrates that it may be possible to use mesenchymal stem cells for radiation myelitis treatment. 

Radiation myelitis is an inflammation of the spinal cord that sometimes occurs after therapeutic irradiation. It is a very rare condition but carries serious side effects including muscle weakness, paralysis, and unusual sensations on the skin, incontinence, fever and respiratory problems.

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells for radiation myelitis treatment is a promising strategy which researchers have just started to explore. The latest research uses allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an effort to limit the inflammation of the spinal cord.

Researchers suspected that using mesenchymal stem cells for radiation myelitis might be appropriate because other studies have shown MSCs can reduce inflammation of central nervous system, stimulate neurogenesis, protect axons and promote nerve remyelination.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the MSCs on radiation myelitis, researchers used a human test subject. The subject was a 37-year-old male who had been diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma and underwent a number of radiotherapy treatments to cure his condition.

After his treatments, he began to experience muscle weakness and difficulty walking, tell tale signs of myelitis. He was given steroids to treat the condition but the patient’s condition continued to worsen and he began to experience incontinence. Doctors also used corticosteroids, mecobalamine and omeprazole with no success.

Doctors used an umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant to test if the stem cells helped with his condition. No adverse reactions were observed after the initial transplant.

Within two days the patient had less leg numbness and regained some muscle strength.  Within two weeks he had more control over bladder function and was able to walk slowly with assistance. After a month, he only experienced numbness in his legs, was no longer incontinent and could walk unaided. Six months after the transplant, the swelling of his spinal cord was greatly reduced.

Nine months after transplantation the patient was readmitted for secondary leg weakness. He received another umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant from another healthy mother. His condition continued to improve. 

From these results, researchers believe that mesenchymal stem cells may be very useful for the treatment of myelitis and other conditions involving inflammation of the spinal cord.

Source: Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells in a laryngeal carcinoma patient

{{cta(‘3fe0aac7-7562-46dc-b8b9-c706d9cfd6b1’)}}

{{cta(‘fec594e9-5433-4350-9180-2bdd371eb399’)}}