A 59-year-old woman was living with pain caused by syringomyelia. For treatment, she received a transplant of uncultured umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
As intended, her pain was relieved after treatment. Then came the unexpected part: the size of the cavity in her spinal cord also decreased. Two years after the last treatment, the cavity had almost completely disappeared and her syringomyelia was deemed cured.
What happened
- The goal was pain relief.The stem cells were given to ease syringomyelia-related pain, and that goal was met.
- The cavity shrank.Follow-up imaging showed the syrinx getting smaller after treatment.
- At two years, it was nearly gone.The authors describe the cavity as almost completely disappeared and the syringomyelia as cured.
Why it matters
This case example suggests that uncultured umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells may be a new treatment alternative for syringomyelia. It is some of the most encouraging published evidence of a treatment changing the syrinx itself, not just the symptoms around it, and it must be trialed and evaluated further.
But keep in mind
- One patient.A case report describes what happened to a single person. It cannot tell us how often this result would happen for others.
- Pain was the target, not the cavity.The authors note the treatment was designed for pain relief, so the imaging data around the cavity change is limited and open to interpretation.
- Further trials are needed.Encouraging results like this are the reason to run larger, controlled studies, not a substitute for them.
A syrinx that nearly disappeared after cell therapy. One case, but exactly the kind of signal that demands a proper trial.
Read the original case report, then see the follow-up summary covering a six-patient clinical trial of cell therapy for post-traumatic syringomyelia.
Disclaimer
This summary is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It describes what happened in a specific study and does not predict what will happen for you. Never start, stop, or change a treatment based on a summary; bring the full publication to your care team and decide together. I AM HEARD Coalition assumes no liability for any actions taken based on this information.
More from I AM HEARD
Continue with Stem Cells vs Syrinx #2, a phase 2 trial in six patients, and learn how our Regenerative Therapy Access Program helps patients reach regenerative care now.
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