CD271⁺ stem cell treatment of patients with chronic stroke: : A retrospective case series report

Patients with chronic stroke have currently little hope for motor improvement towards regaining independent activities of daily living; stem cell treatments offer a new treatment option and needs to be developed. Patients with chronic stroke (more than 3 months prior to stem cell treatment, mean 21.2 months post-stroke) were treated with CD271⁺ stem cells, 7 patients received autologous and 1 allogeneic cells from first degree relative; administration was intravenous in 1 and intrathecal in 7 patients. Each patient received a single treatment consisting of 2-5x10⁶ cells/kg and they were followed up for up to 12 months. There were significant improvements in expressive aphasia (2/3 patients) spasticity (5/5, of which 2 were transient), and small improvements in motor function (2/8 patients). Although motor improvements were minor in our chronic stroke patients, improvements in aphasia and spasticity were significant and in the context of good safety we are advocating further administration and clinical studies of CD271⁺ stem cells not only in chronic stroke patients, but also for spastic paresis/plegia; a different, yet unexplored application is pulmonary emphysema.