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Vaheb S, Afshin S, Ghoshouni H, Ghaffary EM, Farzan M, Shaygannejad V, Thapa S, Zabeti A, Mirmosayyeb O. Neurological efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) therapy in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS): An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 2024; 87:105681. [PMID: 38838423 DOI: 10.1016/j.msard.2024.105681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis (MS) aim to suppress the immune response and reduce relapse rates. As alternative treatments, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being explored. MSCs show promise in repairing nerve tissue and reducing autoimmune responses in people with MS (pwMS). OBJECTIVE This review delves into the literature on the efficacy and safety of MSC therapy for pwMS. METHODS A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant articles from five databases until January 2024. The inclusion criteria encompassed interventional studies. Efficacy and safety data concerning MSC therapy in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), secondary progressive MS (SPMS), and primary progressive MS (PPMS) groups were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS A comprehensive analysis encompassing 30 studies revealed that individuals who underwent intrathecal (IT) protocol-based transplantation of MSCs experienced a noteworthy improvement in their expanded disability status scale (EDSS) compared to the placebo group. Weighted mean difference (WMD) was -0.28; 95 % CI -0.53 to -0.03, I2 = 0 %, p-value = 0.028); however, the intravenous (IV) group did not show significant changes in EDSS scores. The annualized relapse rate (ARR) did not significantly decrease among pwMS (WMD = -0.34; 95 % CI -1.05 to 0.38, I2 = 98 %, p-value = 0.357). Favorable results were observed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with only 19.11 % of pwMS showing contrast-enhanced lesions (CEL) in the short term and no long-term MRI activity. The most common complications in both short-term and long-term follow-ups were infection, back pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The study highlights the safety potential of MSC therapy for pwMS. While MRI-based neural regeneration shows significant treatment potential, the effectiveness of MSC therapy remains uncertain due to study limitations and ineffective outcome measures. Further research is needed to establish efficacy and optimize evaluation methods for MSC therapy on pwMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Vaheb
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sahra Afshin
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandarabbas, Iran
| | - Hamed Ghoshouni
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Elham Moases Ghaffary
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mahour Farzan
- Students Research Committee, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Vahid Shaygannejad
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sangharsha Thapa
- Jacobs School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Buffalo, Department of Neurology, Buffalo, USA
| | - Aram Zabeti
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Omid Mirmosayyeb
- Isfahan Neurosciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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Cohen JA, Lublin FD, Lock C, Pelletier D, Chitnis T, Mehra M, Gothelf Y, Aricha R, Lindborg S, Lebovits C, Levy Y, Motamed Khorasani A, Kern R. Evaluation of neurotrophic factor secreting mesenchymal stem cells in progressive multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler 2023; 29:92-106. [PMID: 36113170 PMCID: PMC9896300 DOI: 10.1177/13524585221122156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autologous mesenchymal stem cell neurotrophic factor-secreting cells (NurOwn®) have the potential to modify underlying disease mechanisms in progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). OBJECTIVE This open-label phase II study was conducted to evaluate safety/efficacy of three intrathecal cell treatments. METHODS Eighteen participants with non-relapsing PMS were treated. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers; timed 25-foot walk speed, nine-hole peg test (9-HPT), low-contrast letter acuity, symbol digit modalities test, and 12-item multiple sclerosis (MS) walking scale. Seventeen participants received all treatments. RESULTS No deaths/adverse events related to worsening of MS, clinical/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of disease activation, and clinically significant changes in safety lab results were reported. Two participants developed symptoms of low back and leg pain, consistent with a diagnosis of arachnoiditis, occurring in one of three intrathecal treatments in both participants. Nineteen percent of treated participants achieved pre-specified ⩾ 25% improvements in timed 25-foot walk speed/nine-HPT at 28 weeks compared to baseline, along with consistent efficacy signals for pre-specified response criteria across other secondary efficacy outcomes. CSF neuroprotective factors increased, and inflammatory biomarkers decreased after treatment, consistent with the proposed mechanism of action. CONCLUSION Based on these encouraging preliminary findings, further confirmation in a randomized study is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A Cohen
- JA Cohen Department of Neurology, Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
| | - Fred D Lublin
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christoper Lock
- Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Pelletier
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tanuja Chitnis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Munish Mehra
- Department of Statistics, Tigermed, Somerset, NJ, USA
| | - Yael Gothelf
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Revital Aricha
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stacy Lindborg
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chaim Lebovits
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yossef Levy
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Afsaneh Motamed Khorasani
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medical Affairs, Eonian Stanzas LLC, Potomac, MD, USA
| | - Ralph Kern
- Department of Research & Development, Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics, New York, NY, USA
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Petrou P, Kassis I, Ginzberg A, Hallimi M, Karussis D. Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation on Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. Stem Cells Transl Med 2022. [PMID: 35641166 DOI: 10.1093/stcltm/szab017.pmid:35641166;pmcid:pmc8895488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurofilament light chains (NF-L) were shown to serve as a reliable biomarker of neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). The chemokine receptor CXCL13 was shown to correlate with CNS inflammatory activity and to predict the future progression of MS. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the levels of NF-L and CXCL13 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in patients with progressive MS. METHODS The CSF samples were obtained from 48 patients with progressive MS who participated in a double-blind randomized phase II clinical trial that tested the effects of intrathecal (IT) or intravenous (IV) transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), at baseline (before the first injection of the MSC) and at 6 months following treatment with MSC, or sham treatment. The CSF specimens were tested in a blinded way, using a single-molecule array (SIMOA) technique. FINDINGS The CSF levels of NF-L were significantly lower at 6 months following treatment with MSC-IT when compared with the baseline, pre-treatment measurements (P = .026, Wilcoxon paired test). Nine out of 15 tested patients in the MSC-IT group had a reduction in NF-L levels of more than 50% (median decrease: -4449 pg/mL) when compared with 5/15 in the MSC-IV group (median decrease: -151 pg/mL) and 1/15 in the placebo group (median increase: +2450 pg/mL) (P = .001 for MSC-IT vs. placebo, chi-square test). CXCL13 levels were also reduced at 6 months following MSC-IT treatment but not to a statistically significant level. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate possible neuroprotective effects of MSC transplantation in patients with MS. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02166021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panayiota Petrou
- Multiple Sclerosis Center/Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology, The Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ibrahim Kassis
- Multiple Sclerosis Center/Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology, The Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ariel Ginzberg
- Multiple Sclerosis Center/Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology, The Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michelle Hallimi
- Multiple Sclerosis Center/Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology, The Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dimitrios Karussis
- Multiple Sclerosis Center/Neuroimmunology Unit, Department of Neurology, The Agnes-Ginges Center for Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
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Williams T, Zetterberg H, Chataway J. Neurofilaments in progressive multiple sclerosis: a systematic review. J Neurol 2021; 268:3212-3222. [PMID: 32447549 PMCID: PMC8357650 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-020-09917-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurofilament proteins have been extensively studied in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, where they are promising biomarkers of disease activity and treatment response. Their role in progressive multiple sclerosis, where there is a particularly urgent need for improved biomarkers, is less clear. The objectives of this systematic review are to summarise the literature on neurofilament light and heavy in progressive multiple sclerosis, addressing key questions. METHODS A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus identified 355 potential sources. 76 relevant sources were qualitatively reviewed using QUADAS-2 criteria, and 17 were identified as at low risk of bias. We summarise the findings from all relevant sources, and separately from the 17 high-quality studies. RESULTS Differences in neurofilament light between relapsing-remitting and progressive multiple sclerosis appear to be explained by differences in covariates. Neurofilament light is consistently associated with current inflammatory activity and future brain atrophy in progressive multiple sclerosis, and is consistently shown to be a marker of treatment response with immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies. Associations with current or future disability are inconsistent, and there is no evidence of NFL being a responsive marker of purportedly neuroprotective treatments. Evidence on neurofilament heavy is more limited and inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS Neurofilament light has shown consistent utility as a biomarker of neuroinflammation, future brain atrophy and immunosuppressive treatment response at a group level. Neither neurofilament light or heavy has shown a consistent treatment response to neuroprotective disease-modifying therapies, which will require further data from successful randomised controlled trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Williams
- Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Faculty of Brain Sciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy At the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Jeremy Chataway
- Department of Neuroinflammation, Faculty of Brain Sciences, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
- Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals, London, UK
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Digital Technology in Clinical Trials for Multiple Sclerosis: Systematic Review. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10112328. [PMID: 34073464 PMCID: PMC8199078 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10112328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been including digital technology tools to overcome limitations in treatment delivery and disease monitoring. In March 2020, we conducted a systematic search on pubmed.gov and clinicaltrials.gov databases (with no restrictions) to identify all relevant published and unpublished clinical trials, in English language, including MS patients, in which digital technology was applied. We used “multiple sclerosis” and “clinical trial” as the main search words, and “app”, “digital”, “electronic”, “internet” and “mobile” as additional search words, separately. Digital technology is part of clinical trial interventions to deliver psychotherapy and motor rehabilitation, with exergames, e-training, and robot-assisted exercises. Digital technology has been used to standardise previously existing outcome measures, with automatic acquisitions, reduced inconsistencies, and improved detection of symptoms (e.g., electronic recording of motor performance). Other clinical trials have been using digital technology for monitoring symptoms that would be otherwise difficult to detect (e.g., fatigue, balance), for measuring treatment adherence and side effects, and for self-assessment purposes. Collection of outcome measures is progressively shifting from paper-based on site, to internet-based on site, and, in the future, to internet-based at home, with the detection of clinical and treatment features that would have remained otherwise invisible. Similarly, remote interventions provide new possibilities of motor and cognitive rehabilitation.
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Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Multiple Sclerosis: Recent Evidence from Pre-Clinical to Clinical Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228662. [PMID: 33212873 PMCID: PMC7698327 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Nowadays, available therapies for MS can help to manage MS course and symptoms, but new therapeutic approaches are required. Stem cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) appeared promising in different neurodegenerative conditions, thanks to their beneficial capacities, including the immunomodulation ability, and to their secretome. The secretome is represented by growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by MSCs. In this review, we focused on studies performed on in vivo MS models involving the administration of MSCs and on clinical trials evaluating MSCs administration. Experimental models of MS evidenced that MSCs were able to reduce inflammatory cell infiltration and disease score. Moreover, MSCs engineered to express different genes, preconditioned with different compounds, differentiated or in combination with other compounds also exerted beneficial actions in MS models, in some cases also superior to native MSCs. Secretome, both conditioned medium and EVs, also showed protective effects in MS models and appeared promising to develop new approaches. Clinical trials highlighted the safety and feasibility of MSC administration and reported some improvements, but other trials using larger cohorts of patients are needed.
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