Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials

Recent preclinical work investigating the role of progenitor cell therapies for central nervous system (CNS) injuries has shown potential neuroprotection in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), and ischemic stroke. Mechanisms currently under investigation include e...

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Main Authors: Peter A. Walker, Matthew T. Harting, Shinil K. Shah, Mary-Clare Day, Ramy El Khoury, Sean I. Savitz, James Baumgartner, Charles S. Cox
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2010-01-01
Series:Stem Cells International
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2010/369578
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author Peter A. Walker
Matthew T. Harting
Shinil K. Shah
Mary-Clare Day
Ramy El Khoury
Sean I. Savitz
James Baumgartner
Charles S. Cox
author_facet Peter A. Walker
Matthew T. Harting
Shinil K. Shah
Mary-Clare Day
Ramy El Khoury
Sean I. Savitz
James Baumgartner
Charles S. Cox
author_sort Peter A. Walker
collection DOAJ
description Recent preclinical work investigating the role of progenitor cell therapies for central nervous system (CNS) injuries has shown potential neuroprotection in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), and ischemic stroke. Mechanisms currently under investigation include engraftment and transdifferentiation, modulation of the locoregional inflammatory milieu, and modulation of the systemic immunologic/inflammatory response. While the exact mechanism of action remains controversial, the growing amount of preclinical data demonstrating the potential benefit associated with progenitor cell therapy for neurological injury warrants the development of well-controlled clinical trials to investigate therapeutic safety and efficacy. In this paper, we review the currently active or recently completed clinical trials investigating the safety and potential efficacy of bone marrow-derived progenitor cell therapies for the treatment of TBI, SCI, and ischemic stroke. Our review of the literature shows that while the preliminary clinical trials reviewed in this paper offer novel data supporting the potential efficacy of stem/progenitor cell therapies for CNS injury, a great deal of additional work is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of progenitor cell therapy prior to widespread clinical trials.
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spelling doaj-art-b9354ced39574e30b0678917d50cccbb2025-08-20T02:23:32ZengWileyStem Cells International1687-96782010-01-01201010.4061/2010/369578369578Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical TrialsPeter A. Walker0Matthew T. Harting1Shinil K. Shah2Mary-Clare Day3Ramy El Khoury4Sean I. Savitz5James Baumgartner6Charles S. Cox7Department of Surgery, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.236, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of General Surgery, Medical School at Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Surgery, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.236, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.236, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Neurology, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Neurology, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USADepartment of Surgery, Medical School at Houston, University of Texas, 6431 Fannin Street, MSB 5.236, Houston, TX 77030, USARecent preclinical work investigating the role of progenitor cell therapies for central nervous system (CNS) injuries has shown potential neuroprotection in the setting of traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), and ischemic stroke. Mechanisms currently under investigation include engraftment and transdifferentiation, modulation of the locoregional inflammatory milieu, and modulation of the systemic immunologic/inflammatory response. While the exact mechanism of action remains controversial, the growing amount of preclinical data demonstrating the potential benefit associated with progenitor cell therapy for neurological injury warrants the development of well-controlled clinical trials to investigate therapeutic safety and efficacy. In this paper, we review the currently active or recently completed clinical trials investigating the safety and potential efficacy of bone marrow-derived progenitor cell therapies for the treatment of TBI, SCI, and ischemic stroke. Our review of the literature shows that while the preliminary clinical trials reviewed in this paper offer novel data supporting the potential efficacy of stem/progenitor cell therapies for CNS injury, a great deal of additional work is needed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of progenitor cell therapy prior to widespread clinical trials.http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2010/369578
spellingShingle Peter A. Walker
Matthew T. Harting
Shinil K. Shah
Mary-Clare Day
Ramy El Khoury
Sean I. Savitz
James Baumgartner
Charles S. Cox
Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
Stem Cells International
title Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
title_full Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
title_fullStr Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
title_full_unstemmed Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
title_short Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Injury: A Review of the State of Current Clinical Trials
title_sort progenitor cell therapy for the treatment of central nervous system injury a review of the state of current clinical trials
url http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2010/369578
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