Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury Using Autologous Concentrated Growth Factors

November 19, 2025 updated by: Limin Rong, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University

A Prospective, Single-center, Single-arm Clinical Study Protocol on the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury Using Autologous Concentrated Growth Factors

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe disorder of the central nervous system, and effective clinical management remains a significant global challenge. Current therapeutic approaches can only partially restore neurological function, leaving the majority of individuals with SCI facing profound and lifelong disabilities. The Department of Spine Surgery at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University is conducting a clinical study on the use of autologous concentrated growth factors for the treatment of spinal cord injury, with the aim of developing a novel and effective clinical intervention strategy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Research Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of autologous concentrated growth factors (Concentrated Growth Factors, CGF) in promoting the recovery of motor, sensory, and autonomic functions in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), and to investigate the underlying mechanisms through which CGF contributes to functional restoration of the injured spinal cord.

Study Design: A prospective, single-center, single-arm clinical trial. Study Population: Individuals diagnosed with spinal cord injury who meet predefined inclusion criteria.

Intervention: Eligible participants will receive autologous concentrated growth factor biofilm implantation at the site of spinal cord injury, in conjunction with standard rehabilitation therapy. Participants will undergo structured follow-up assessments at 1, 3, and 6 months post-intervention; an additional follow-up at 12 months will be conducted as a long-term observational time point.

Outcome Measures:

Primary Outcome Measure: Change in ASIA motor score from baseline to each follow-up visit.

Secondary Outcome Measures: ASIA sensory scores, International Association for Neurorestoration-Spinal Cord Injury Functional Rating Scale (IANR-SCIFRS), Spinal Cord Independence Measure-III (SCIM III), 10-meter Walk Test (10MWT), International Standards for Autonomic Function after SCI (ISAFSCI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), bladder function assessment (Geffner scale), bowel function assessment (Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction Score, NBD), muscle tone evaluation (Modified Ashworth Scale), spasticity assessment (Penn Spasm Frequency Scale), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP), and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord.

Sample Size: This is an exploratory pilot study designed to enroll 10 participants.

Statistical Analysis Plan: The full analysis set (FAS), per-protocol set (PPS), and safety analysis set will be established. Descriptive statistics will include data distribution assessment (normality testing), summary of baseline characteristics, handling of missing data, and dropout analysis. Inferential statistical analyses will include within-group comparisons over time using appropriate longitudinal models, assessment of potential center effects (if applicable), safety profile evaluation, and exploratory logistic regression analyses to identify potential predictors of response.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
10

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Chinese citizens, aged 18-60;

    • Spinal cord injury caused by trauma;

      • ASIA spinal cord injury grade C-D; ④ Duration of the disease: Acute, subacute and chronic spinal cord injuries are all acceptable; ⑤ Cooperate to complete the follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severe systemic diseases;

    • Joint contractures;

      • Having hematological diseases, autoimmune diseases and infectious diseases;

        • Prohibited conditions for magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological examinations（For example：intracranial metal implants， cardiac stents, spinal stimulators, spinal internal fixators)；

          • Severe anxiety/depression/manic states， or diagnosed with mental illness or epilepsy； ⑥ Spinal cord injury caused by myelitis， multiple sclerosis， or spinal tumors；

            • Complicated with bleeding disorders or coagulation dysfunction；

              • Individuals with osteoporosis and a high risk of pathological fractures； ⑨ Poor compliance， or unable to correctly understand and cooperate to complete follow-up； ⑩ Pregnant or lactating women； ⑪ Those who have received other spinal cord injury intervention treatments such as stem cells or growth factors within the past 3 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: the treatment of spinal cord injury using autologous concentrated growth factors
Biological: Concentrated Growth Factors (CGF)
Concentrated Growth Factors (CGF) have garnered significant attention owing to their distinct biological properties . CGF is a concentrated autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix derived from centrifuged venous blood, containing high levels of bioactive growth factors, including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF). These growth factors play pivotal roles in promoting angiogenesis, modulating inflammatory responses, and stimulating cellular proliferation and differentiation. Evidence suggests that CGF not only enhances the local microenvironment at the site of injury but also promotes neural repair by activating endogenous neural stem cells and supporting axonal regeneration, thereby offering a promising multi-target therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury recovery.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
ASIA motor score
Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 months
From enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
December 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 19, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 19, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 28, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 19, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • ACGF-SCI

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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