India's FIRST successful Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury
Mr. Akbar Ali in the press meet (In the centre with blue tops and pyjama) flanked by (From L>R) Dr JS Rajkumar (Chairman Life Line Hospital), Dr Narayanan (Neurosurgeon), Dr Ravikumar (Stem Cell Project Coordinator) Dr Baskaran (CEO, Life Line) Mr Yuji Okada (Consul, Consulate of Japan, Chennai), Dr Samuel JK Abraham (NCRM)
A 25 year old Akbar ali, who sustained an injury to his spinal cord on the 12th of October 2006 at a construction site in Abhudabi following a fall from 12 mts, lost sensation and activity of the lower half of his body. He was treated surgically in which the bones of the vertebral column within which the spinal cord is situated were fixed using metal plates and screws after which he was on a wheel chair without any control over his bladder and bowel. The sensation and activity also didn't improve much. He arrived back in India on a wheel chair in the first week of December 2006.
Incidentally when he got admitted to the Life Line Hospital, Chennai, for a reparative surgery to correct the bowel sphincter, the hospital had just got a MoU signed with NCRM for a collaborative work on stem cell based clinical applications. Immediately his case was considered for the stem cell therapy as the time elapsed from the accident until then was very short (10 weeks)
On the 22nd of December, under general anaesthesia, 100ml of his bone marrow was taken from his Iliac bone and the stem cells were isolated and processed at NCRM as per the technology given by Dr Terunuma Hiroshi of Biotherapy Institute, Tokyo, Japan. The isolated cells ready for injection were then injected into the space around the injured site of the spinal cord.
Mr Ali, who was on a continuous drainage of urine from bladder, started feeling some sensation of the catheter as a foreign body and asked the physician to remove the same. Simultaneously he started feeling sensation in the legs and foot and in 4 weeks time from the injection and then he could stand on his own. Now 2 months from then, he is able to withhold the urine for up to 2 Hrs and also able to stand on his own and walk without any ones help. The coordination of the legs while walking are normal.
Objective evaluation has shown his motor power has improved to level 4 (Level 5 is normal) and sensation and motor activity of the urinary bladder as well by appropriate tests.
As far our knowledge is concerned, this could be the first such case reported in India.
In the press meet held on the 24th February 2007 to announce this, Dr Ravikumar presented his case to the audience and the event was graced by the presence of Mr Yuji Okada, Consul, Consulate of Japan, Chennai who lauded the entire team for this miraculous results.
Dr JS Rajkumar, Chairman, Lifeline Hospital and Dr Samuel JK Abraham, Director, NCRM explained the scientist basis of this treatment after a brief speech by Mr Akbar ali who narrated the entire story and also answered to the questions raised by the audience.
A few points of scientific importance
Picture on the left shows the spinal cord compression (Yellow arrows) and vertebral bone damage (Red Arrows). Picture on the right was taken after the bones were fixed in a surgery using plates and screws.
In any such injury the damage is caused to the neural component and vascular component. The time within which the anatomical correction is undertaken (surgical fixing of the bones in this case) and adjunct therapies are started are very important. Earlier the treatment is given better could be the outcome.
About the cell source and their mechanism:
1. The cells used were NOT from any other source such as embryo or Umbilical cord blood or another human donor, but from his own bone marrow. Therefore this is safe.
2. The cells were not contaminated with any other biological material from human or animal origin.
3. The bone marrow stem cells do the repair in two ways: (i) Majority of the cells secrete trophic factors which help repair neural and vascular damages (ii) a small portion of the cells undergo fusion-differentiation to become nerve cells.
Related news in the media: Indian Express Chennai Online The Hindu Deccan Chronicle
Click here to view the continuing success stories of stemcell therapy for spinal chord injury
*our services were provided to this Institute until 29th Feb 2008
