Mesenchymal stromal cells: cell-based therapies for traumatic central nervous system injuries.

Traumatic central nervous system (CNS) injury often causes irreversible impairment, and new alternative therapies for the treatment of CNS injury and sequelae are expected to be developed. Recently, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have started being used as cell therapy for neurological disorders such as traumatic CNS injury based on their immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and neurorestorative abilities. Based on the premise of basic research, numerous clinical trials using MSCs for the treatment of traumatic CNS injury have been performed, and the feasibility and efficacy of this therapy have been reported.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Perspective: New Potential Therapeutic for the Treatment of Neurological Diseases.

Several studies have shown that mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) exert their neuroprotective and neurorestorative efficacy via the secretion of neurotrophic factors. Based on these studies, many clinical trials using MSCs for the treatment of neurological disorders have been conducted, and results regarding their feasibility and efficacy have been reported. The present review aims to highlight the characteristics and basic research regarding the role of MSCs in neurological disease and to discuss the recent progress in clinical trials using MSCs to treat various neurological disorders.

Severe neonatal CMV infection complicated with thrombotic microangiopathy successfully treated with ganciclovir.

We report a neonate of severe cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection who presented vomiting, severe thrombocytopenia and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). He showed occasional vomiting at 3 weeks of age and visited us with systemic petechiae at 29 days old. Platelet was markedly decreased to 18,000/μL and fragmented red blood cells were increased in the peripheral blood.