Current understanding of safety and efficacy of stem cell therapy for discogenic pain —A systematic review of human studies

This study is a systematic review of human clinical studies of stem cell therapy for discogenic pain. To summarize the current human trials and feasibility studies involving mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for treatment of discogenic pain. A search of Ovid databases and Clinicaltrials.gov was conducted from inception through July 2016. We included human clinical trials and case reports that evaluated treatment with injected MSCs for patients with discogenic back pain. The outcomes of interest for published studies included pain score, Oswestry Disability Index, and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity indicative of water content of the nucleus pulposus.

Source: Techniques in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management - November 21, 2016 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Christine L. Hunt, Stephanie Shen, Ahmad Nassr, Andre J. van Wijnen, A. Noelle Larson, Jason S. Eldrige, William D. Mauck, Mathew J. Pingree, Patricia J. Erwin, Mohamad Bydon, Wenchun Qu Source Type: research