Stroke is the second leading cause of death behind ischemic heart disease worldwide. Traditional treatments have some limitations whereas preclinical data suggest that stem cell therapy is a promising regenerative medical treatment given the limited capacity of the central nervous system for self-repairs after ischemic stroke. Previous studies have shown that umbilical cord blood-derived Mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) infusion improves the outcomes of several neurological damage conditions, including stroke. These results encouraged us to initiate the phase I/II clinical trial aiming to evaluate the safety and the efficiency of UC-MSC transplantation in the treatment of patients with neurological complications after ischemic stroke. This case-control phase I/II trial is conducted at Vinmec Times City International Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam between 2021 and 2023. In this trial, 48 patients with neurological complications after ischemic stroke will be enrolled into 3 groups: UC-MSC infusion via intravenous route group (16), UC-MSC infusion via intrathecal administration route group (16), and control group (16). The UC-MSC group (IV/intrathecal) will receive two doses of thawed UC-MSC product at 1.5x106 cells/kg patient body weight with an intervention interval of three months. The primary outcome measures will include the incidence of prespecified administration-associated adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). The potential efficacy will be measured using these scales including National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale-NIHSS, Functional Independence Measure -FIM, Modified Ashworth Scale-MAS, Fine motor skills-FMS, 36-Item Short Form Survey -SF-36. The clinical evaluation will be conducted at baseline and 3-, 6- and 12-months post-intervention.
This trial is to investigate the safety and potential therapeutic efficacy of allogeneic administration of umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) in combination with standard neurological complications after ischemic stroke treatment in Vietnam.