Allogeneic Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Parkinson’s Disease: A Randomized Trial

Who conducted the study

The primary research team was from the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston (University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston), USA. Specialists from the Department of Neurology, the Institute for Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, the Center for Clinical Research & Evidence-Based Medicine, and other departments at UTHealth Houston participated in the study. Researchers from the University of Washington and the City College of New York also participated. The lead author is Professor Mya C. Schiess, director of the Movement Disorders & Neurodegenerative Diseases program at UTHealth Houston.

What was studied

The study included 45 patients with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease. The researchers investigated repeated intravenous infusions of allogeneic human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells derived from bone marrow (allo-hMSCs). Patients were randomized into groups receiving three MSC infusions, two MSC infusions (following an initial placebo), or three placebo infusions; the interval between infusions was 18 weeks, and follow-up lasted 88 weeks.

The primary objective was to determine whether repeated MSC infusions could improve the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, which were assessed using the MDS-UPDRS-III scale. Improvement was observed in the three-infusion group; however, significant improvement also occurred in the placebo group; furthermore, the two-infusion group performed worse than the placebo group. The authors therefore specifically note the need for further research and investigation of differences between batches of the cell product. Adverse events in the study were characterized as mild and transient.

Journal: Movement Disorders

Year: 2025

DOI: 10.1002/mds.70028.