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Efficacy of growth factor gene–modified stem cells for motor function after spinal cord injury in rodents: a systematic review and meta‑analysis

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Abstract

The efficacy of growth factor gene–modified stem cells in treating spinal cord injury (SCI) remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of growth factor gene–modified stem cells in restoring motor function after SCI. Two reviewers searched four databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify relevant records. Studies on rodents assessing the efficacy of transplanting growth factor gene–modified stem cells in restoring motor function after SCI were included. The results were reported using the standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Analyses showed that growth factor gene–modified stem cell transplantation improved motor function recovery in rodents with SCI compared to the untreated (SMD = 3.98, 95% CI 3.26–4.70, I2 = 86.8%, P < 0.0001) and stem cell (SMD = 2.53, 95% CI 1.93–3.13, I2 = 86.9%, P < 0.0001) groups. Using growth factor gene–modified neural stem/histone cells enhanced treatment efficacy. In addition, the effectiveness increased when viral vectors were employed for gene modification and high transplantation doses were administered during the subacute phase. Stem cells derived from the human umbilical cord exhibited an advantage in motor function recovery. However, the transplantation of growth factor gene–modified stem cells did not significantly improve motor function in male rodents (P = 0.136). Transplantation of growth factor gene–modified stem cells improved motor function in rodents after SCI, but claims of enhanced efficacy should be approached with caution. The safety of gene modification remains a significant concern, requiring additional efforts to enhance its clinical translatability.

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Funding

This study was supported by Special Project of Scientific Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine in Henan Province (Grant number 2022JDZX015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China

    Wen-Ya Shang, Xiao-Meng Huang, Zhi-Lan Zhang & Jing Huang

  2. The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of CM, Zhengzhou, China

    Ya-Feng Ren & Bing LI

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  1. Wen-Ya Shang
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  2. Ya-Feng Ren
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  3. Bing LI
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  4. Xiao-Meng Huang
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  5. Zhi-Lan Zhang
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  6. Jing Huang
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Contributions

The study was designed by Wen-Ya Shang and Ya-Feng Ren. Data collection was performed by Wen-Ya Shang, Xiao-Meng Huang, Zhi-Lan Zhang, and Jing Huang. Data analysis was performed by Wen-Ya Shang and Bing Li. The first draft was written by Wen-Ya Shang. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ya-Feng Ren.

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Shang, WY., Ren, YF., LI, B. et al. Efficacy of growth factor gene–modified stem cells for motor function after spinal cord injury in rodents: a systematic review and meta‑analysis. Neurosurg Rev 47, 87 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-024-02314-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-024-02314-2

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