Bone marrow mononuclear cell therapy in ischaemic stroke: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Neurology
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Bone marrow mononuclear cell (BM-MNC) therapy is being explored for treating ischemic stroke (IS).
• Systematic reviews are crucial for evaluating emerging therapies like BM-MNCs in IS.
• Assessing the safety and efficacy of BM-MNCs in IS patients is a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze published studies on BM-MNC therapy for IS.
• To evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of BM-MNC therapy in IS patients.
• To determine the current evidence regarding the efficacy of BM-MNCs for IS treatment.

Main Methods:

• Searched MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Trip Database, Cochrane library, and clinicaltrial.gov for studies on BM-MNC therapy in IS until June 2016.
• Included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomized comparative studies, and single-arm open-label trials involving IS patients.
• Performed meta-analysis using STATA version 13 to pool data on clinical and safety outcomes.

Main Results:

• Seven studies (1 RCT, 2 non-randomized comparative, 4 single-arm open-label) involving 227 subjects were included.
• Pooled favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) was 29% in BM-MNC treated subjects (n=122) versus 20% in controls (n=69).
• No significant difference in safety outcomes was observed between BM-MNC treated and control groups.

Conclusions:

• BM-MNC therapy appears safe and feasible for IS patients up to one year post-intervention.
• The efficacy of BM-MNC therapy for IS remains debatable based on current evidence.
• Well-designed RCTs are necessary to definitively establish the efficacy of BM-MNC transplantation in IS patients.