Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40879603›Full record

ArticleNeurodegenerative disease management2026

Intravenous vs intrathecal transplantation of allogeneic GMP/GCP compliant Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stromal cells in ALS patients: a phase I study.

Shahedeh Karimi, Azadeh Ghaheri, Hoda Madani, Alireza Beheshti Maal, Bahareh Sadri, Elaheh Khodadoust, Faeze Sharafi, Massoud Vosough, Seyed Massood Nabavi

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase I
In one paragraph

Article in Neurodegenerative disease management, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Shahedeh KarimiDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Azadeh GhaheriDepartment of Basic and Population Based Studies in NCD, Reproductive Epidemiology Research Center, Royan Institute, Tehran, Iran.
Hoda MadaniDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Alireza Beheshti MaalDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Bahareh SadriDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Elaheh KhodadoustDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
Faeze SharafiStudent Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Massoud VosoughDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-5924-4366
Seyed Massood NabaviDepartment of Regenerative Medicine, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, Tehran, Iran.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThere are a few therapeutic approaches for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which can only slow down or stop the disease progression for a limited period of time. Since it has been proven that Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) produce neurotrophic factors and have some neuroprotective effects, stem cell therapy has been proposed as an alternative or add-on treatment for ALS patients. METHOD & MATERIAL: In this open-label clinical trial, two-repeated dose of 60 million GMP compliant Wharton's Jelly-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (WJ-MSCs) were transplanted intrathecally (#6 patients) or intravenously (#6 patients) twice with a 3-month interval.

resultsNo adverse events related to the intervention or injected cells were reported. While no significant improvement in the total revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) score or overall clinical efficacy was achieved, patients reported improvements in specific sub-items such as salivation, swallowing, and their speech. Additionally, reductions in muscle tremors and fasciculations, as well as increased muscle strength were observed.

conclusionIn conclusion, using WJ-MSCs is safe and feasible in ALS patients, but the efficacy of these cells should be assessed in future studies with more patients, different routes of cell administration, and maybe with higher doses of the injected cells.

Indexed as

Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisMesenchymal Stem Cell TransplantationWharton JellyAdultAgedFemaleHumansInjections, SpinalMaleMesenchymal Stem CellsMiddle AgedTransplantation, HomologousTreatment Outcomeallogeneic stem cellsAmyotrophic lateral sclerosisGMP compliant MSCsmesenchymal stem cellsWharton’s jelly MSCs

Identifiers

PMID40879603
PMCPMC12826742

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.