School of Medicine

News and Publications

For immediate release:
June 29, 2006
Contact: Jennifer Day
(313) 577-1058
jday@med.wayne.edu

WSU collaborates on study showing improvement in patients with spinal-cord injuries following transplant of adult stem cells

Seven people experience better sensory, motor function following transplant of cells from their own nasal cavities

Seven paralyzed patients improved in sensory and/or motor function after tissue containing their own adult stem cells was surgically transplanted to the sites of their injuries, according to a study published in the latest issue of The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.

Jean Peduzzi-Nelson, Ph.D., an associate professor in the WSU Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, was one of the paper’s authors and contributed to the analysis of the data. The first seven Portuguese patients were treated in a procedure developed by Carlos Lima, M.D., and his team at the Hospital de Egas Moniz, in Lisbon. Dr. Peduzzi-Nelson is currently investigating methods to obtain even further improvements using a combination treatment with olfactory mucosa in spinal cord injured rats.

“This study represents a long-awaited start in the cure of chronic, severe human spinal cord injury. Analysis of data from additional people who received these olfactory mucosa autografts is necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of this procedure,” Dr. Peduzzi-Nelson said.

Seven patients ranging in age from 18 to 32 elected to have pieces of their olfactory mucosa transplanted into spinal cord lesions between July 2001 and March 2003. The severity of patients’ injuries varied, and patients had the surgery anywhere from six months to 6.5 years after injury.

Olfactory mucosa, found in the upper region of the nasal cavity, contains stem-like progenitor cells that may replace damaged cells and olfactory ensheathing cells that encourage nerve fiber growth. All of the patients before the procedure had complete spinal cord injuries, classified as “ASIA A” in American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale, which means there is no sensory or motor function in the sacral region.

Magnetic resonance imaging showed moderate to complete filling of the lesion sites after the operation. One of the patients treated at more than 6 years after injury had documented improvements in bowel and bladder function. All patients showed improvement in ASIA motor scores, and all but one patient improved in ASIA sensory neurological scores, which tests for sensations caused by touch or pinprick. Two of the patients were classified as “ASIA C” patients, or as having incomplete injuries, after the procedure. Electromyography showed motor unit potential when patients were asked to perform movement in certain muscles that were previously paralyzed.

One patient reported sensory decrease, which may have been caused by difficulty in locating the lesion during surgery, but still showed an increase in motor function. A few instances of transient pain, which was later relieved by medication, also were reported in a few patients.

This study followed Dr. Lima’s first seven patients during an 18-month follow-up period. Since then, more than 60 others including numerous American patients have elected to have the surgery.

Although all patients are treated in Portugal, Steven Hinderer, M.D., WSU associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and medical director of the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery, provided follow-up evaluations for some of the patients in the study.

With more than 1,000 students, the Wayne State University School of Medicine is the nation's third largest medical school. Together with its clinical partners, the Wayne State University Physician Group, the Detroit Medical Center and other area health-care providers, the school is a leader in medical research and patient care with emphases on cancer; maternal-child health; neurosciences; and population studies and urban health.

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