When Can a Stroke Patient Be Administered a Cord Blood Based Stroke Treatment?
During a recent study at Duke University and Houston Methodist, 10 people who had suffered an ischaemic stroke were transfused with a single dose of allogeneic cord blood. This was done 3-9 days after each stroke.
In fact, the individual who was administered the cord blood three days after the stroke jumped two levels on the Rankin Scale.
His original Rankin Scale baseline was 4, which is defined as a moderately severe disability. The individual was unable to attend to his own bodily needs without assistance and was unable to walk unassisted.
At three months, he was classified as a 2 on the Rankin Scale which is defined as a slight disability. While it was possible for the patient to take care of his own affairs, it was no longer possible for him to perform all the activities he had performed before the stroke.
The study suggests that a cord blood treatment administered between three and ten days after an ischemic stroke is safe, well tolerated and feasible.
Reference:
Stem Cells Translational Medicine, 2018 May 12
“Allogeneic Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion for Adults with Ischemic Stroke: Clinical Outcomes from a Phase 1 Safety Study.” Laskowitz DT, Bennett ER, Durham RJ, Volpi JJ, Wiese JR, Frankel M, Shpall E, Wilson JM, Troy J, Kurtzberg J.
