STEM CELLS VS SYRINX #2

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2018.04.006(Click here for full article)

Patients with chronic spinal cord injury + syringomyelia were treated using autologous mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)

• Cells were delivered directly to the spinal cord/syrinx region

What they observed:

• Reduction in syrinx size on imaging

• Improvement in motor + sensory function

• No major safety concerns reported

Why it matters:

Traditional treatments often don’t reverse damage – this approach targets the underlying spinal cord environment

Figure: Improvements of patients in

the IANR-SCIFRS scale. Previous to

cell therapy, 2 patients had a slight handicap and 4 patients had a medium handicap. At the end of the study, 5 patients had a slight handicap and 1 patient had a medium handicap.

What this study actually shows:

• Stem cell therapy may:

→ Reduce syrinx progression

→ Support neural repair

→ Improve function—not just symptoms

• Early evidence suggests this could be a true disease-modifying approach, not just management

BUT:

• Still early-stage

• Small patient populations

• Needs larger, controlled trials

Bottom line:

This is one of the strongest early signals that regenerative medicine could change how we treat syringomyelia – not just live with it.