Background aims: After recent observations that intrathecal administration of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) increases cerebral metabolism in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), we examined this type of cell therapy in Alzheimer's type dementia. Methods: Three patients with clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease received every 3 months 100 million autologous MSCs by intrathecal route, until a total dose of 300 million. Results: During cell therapy the patients showed arrest in neurological deterioration and two of them manifested clear improvement of previous symptoms. A global increase in cerebral glucose metabolism, measured using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET), was observed after every administration of cell therapy. Conclusions: Our present findings suggest that intrathecal administrations of autologous MSCs can be a new strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia.
We present a case of recurrent subdural post-surgical empyema by Proprionibacterium acnes after a first drained empyema in which no microbiological diagnosis was reached. P. acnes is a gram-positive anaerobic organism which is part of the saprophytic flora of the skin and others parts of the body. However, it can cause infections, as in the central nervous system, especially post-surgical infections in which can be the second more frequent organism after Staphylococcus aureus. P. acnes grows slowly and shows better growth in liquid anaerobic media. It is usually resistant to metronidazol and sensitive to penicillin. In postoperative central nervous system infections we must take into account the possibility of this organism, process the sample properly and keep touch with the Microbiology Department.
The authors report the case of a 40-year-old man who suffered paraplegia from 2013, due to shot by firearm. In april 2017 he underwent cell therapy consisting of administration of autologous bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) into injured spinal cord and subarachnoid space by lumbar puncture. Throughout one year of follow-up, the patient experienced clear improvement in sensitivity, motor, and sphincter functions. After BMSCs administration, studies with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) suggested an enhancement in glucose uptake at level of injured spinal cord, at least in the course or the first 6 months after the start of cell therapy. This case supports previous observations about the improvements obtained by cell therapy with autologous BMSCs in chronic paraplegic patients, and suggests that a possible increase in tissue metabolism, mediated by the presence of BMSCs into injured spinal cord, can be one of the causes of early clinical improvements.
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