2023, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (1): 76-82

Safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis

Hu Fei1, Wang Jie2   

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke, and to provide relevant evidence-based medicine evidence.
METHODS: Clinical controlled trials of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of stroke were searched from Chinese databases (CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP) and English databases (PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Embase) for articles published until September 30, 2021. The United States National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, Barthel index, Fugl-Myer movement assessment score, functional independence measure score, and Modified Rankin Scale score were used as outcome measures. Literature screening, data extraction and research quality assessment were conducted independently by two researchers. The qualities of randomized controlled trials were assessed using Cochrane bias risk assessment tool. Stata 15.0 was used for meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis and forest plot making.
RESULTS: A total of 1 127 patients with ischemic stroke were included from 20 randomized controlled trials. The overall quality of the literature was high. Meta-analysis results showed that the scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Fugl-Myer movement assessment and functional independence measure score in the mesenchymal stem cell group were better than those in the control group after 3 months of treatment [WMD=-2.12(95%CI:-2.66 to -1.58, Z=7.70, P < 0.001), WMD=14.34(95%CI:12.99-15.68, Z=20.90, P < 0.001), WMD=20.94(95%CI:9.28-22.59, Z=5.88, P < 0.001)]. Barthel index and Modified Rankin Scale score were similar between the two groups [WMD=6.98(95%CI:-2.89-16.85, Z=1.39, P=0.166), WMD=-0.04(95%CI:-0.16 to 0.24, Z=0.44, P=0.663)]. Except for Modified Rankin Scale score, the scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Barthel index, Fugl-Myer movement assessment and functional independence measure score were significantly improved at all other time points.
CONCLUSION: Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can improve the neurological deficit, motor function and daily living ability of patients with ischemic stroke.
Key words: mesenchymal stem cell, ischemic stroke, stroke, motor function, daily life, transplantation, neurological function, meta-analysis