Serious Adverse Events Have Not Been Reported with Spinal Intrathecal Injection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Systematic Review

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are partially differentiated multipotent cells. They can be derived from various tissues such as the umbilical cord, bone marrow, and adipose tissue. Intrathecal administration of MSCs has shown efficacy for various neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, autism, traumatic brain injury, and many more. Objective: This review will seek to determine whether there are any serious adverse events associated with spinal intrathecal administration of MSCs. Methods: PubMed was used to search the scientific literature for serious adverse events that are related to spinal intrathecal administration of MSCs. Disease specific searches were performed for neurological conditions that could benefit from intrathecal administration of MSCs. In addition, a general serious adverse events search was performed to identify any additional adverse events. Results and Discussion: A total of 39 studies were included in our analysis. None of the studies reported serious adverse events related to spinal intrathecal administration of MSCs. Notably, no infections, clinical rejection, or tumors were identified. Conclusion: Properly performed spinal intrathecal injection of MSCs is exceedingly safe, with no serious adverse events reported based on our exhaustive literature search.