Table 3 Open label and placebo-controlled stem cell applications in clinical parkinsonism

Venkataramana, Pal et al. [65]

Allogenic

3, 6, 12

1. PD patients with bilateral subventricular intracerebral application of 2×10⁶ /kg bodyweight MSCs in 2 ml (n = 8)

UPDRS in ON/OFF:

PD patients

MSCs

2. MSA + PSP patients with bilateral subventricular intracerebral application of 2×10⁶ /kg bodyweight MSCs in 2 ml (n = 4)

a. In PD patients: permanently improved* compared with baseline during both ON (18%: 51.2 versus 62.3) and OFF (31.2%: 59.5 versus 86.5). Effect stronger in patients with disease duration < 5 years (ON 45.5%/ OFF 56.7%) as compared to patients with a duration > 10 years (ON 6.3% OFF 12.4%).

MSA patients

b. Some MSA/PSP patients temporarily improved. The effect was not correlated with disease severity and disease duration.

MR-tractography:

PSP patients

a. PD patients, after implantation, did show a trend of steadily improvement in tractographical images in genu and peduncles.

Open Label

b. MSA/PSP patients showed further reduction of tractographical images after stem cell implantation.

Venkataramana, Kumar et al. [64]

Autologous MSCs

10-36

PD patients (n = 7) with an UPDRS ON/OFF score 50.6/65.0 and a mean disease duration of 14.7 yr treated with 10⁶ MSCs/kg bodyweight in the subventricular zone

UPDRS in ON/OFF:

PD patients

a. In 3/7 patients there was a stable improvement of ON/OFF scores of 38% respect 22.9% with unchanged anti-parkinsonian medication.

Open Label

b. In 3/7 patients after treatment, only marginal clinical effects were observed

Anti-parkinsonian medication significantly reduced in 2 patients.

Lee, kim et al. [63]

Autologous MSCs

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12

Patients with Cognitive intact MSA-C (with UMSARS scores between 30 to 50)

UMSARS score

a. MSCs-treated patients showed a reduced* increase of UMSARS score compared to placebo treated patients.

MSA patients

1. Placebo group: Intravenous or intra-arterial placebo (n = 17)

b. Intra-arterial application of MSCs was complicated with some MRI-detectable ischemic lesions

Cognitive functions:

Significantly* worsened in the placebo, but not in the MSCs-treated patients

Placebo controlled

2. MSCs group: 4×10⁶ MSCs intravenously or intra-arterial (n = 14)

MRI and FDG PET:

Showed significantly increased* gray cerebral cortical areas respectively more decreased cortical and cerebellar glucose metabolism in placebo-treated, as compared to MSCs-treated patients.