Neurologic Stem Cell Treatment Study (NEST)

June 3, 2025 updated by: MD Stem Cells

Neurologic Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cell Treatment Study

This is a human clinical study involving the isolation of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSC) and transfer to the vascular system and inferior 1/3 of the nasal passages in order to determine if such a treatment will provide improvement in neurologic function for patients with certain neurologic conditions. http://mdstemcells.com/nest/

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Various clinical studies have registered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study neurologic diseases and damage. There have also been a number of journal reports of the benefits of treatment with BMSC for diseases and damage to nervous tissue. The investigators hope to add to the volume of literature regarding the use of BMSC in those neurologic diseases and conditions identified as likely to respond to this treatment.

Intravenous administration of BMSC is a well-established approach to neurologic disease and injury with much support for its effectiveness in the pre-clinical and clinical literature. BMSC and the associated bone marrow fraction are posited to have a number of different mechanisms by which they may potentially improve neurologic function. In regards their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier for potential neuronal transdifferentiation and direct impact on the neurons and glial tissue within the brain, it should be remembered that within the diencephalon there are specific circumventricular organs which lie in the wall of the third ventricle. These are noteworthy for a significantly diminished blood-brain barrier and glial limitans which facilitates their function of coordinating homeostatic mechanisms of the endocrine and nervous systems. Therefore the investigators believe entry of BMSC may be facilitated in this area of the brain.

The NEST Study provides a treatment Arm 1 which combines intravenous BMSC with topical application of BMSC to the lower 1/3 of the nasal passages as a means of introducing BMSC to the Central Nervous System (CNS). This is applied bilaterally to the inferior nasal conchas and meatuses. The Trigeminal Nerve or 5th Cranial Nerve is a paired, large sensory and motor nerve with multiple branches. It provides sensation to the surface and interior structures of the face including the nasal mucosa that lines the nose. The nerves of the Trigeminal Nerve providing sensation to this area converge and enter the brain at the level of the pons. There is documentation in the scientific literature that intranasal delivery of BMSC allows the BMSC to follow the pathways of the trigeminal nerve, facilitating entry into the parenchyma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) for effects on the CNS.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

Phase

  • Not Applicable

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 Locations

  • United Arab Emirates
      • Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 337-1500
        • Recruiting
        • The Saudi-German Hospital
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Jeffrey Weiss, MD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Steven Levy, Study Director, MD
  • United States
    • Connecticut
      • Westport, Connecticut, United States, 06880
        • Recruiting
        • MD Stem Cells
        • Contact:
          • Phone Number: 203-423-9494
        • Contact:
    • Florida
      • Coral Springs, Florida, United States, 33065
        • Recruiting
        • MD Stem Cells
        • Contact:
          • Phone Number: 203-423-9494
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Steven Levy, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Jeffrey Weiss, MD
        • Contact:

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Have documented functional damage to the central or peripheral nervous system unlikely to improve with present standard of care.
  2. Be at least 6 months post-onset of the disease.
  3. If under current medical therapy (pharmacologic or surgical treatment) for the condition be considered stable on that treatment and unlikely to have reversal of the associated neurologic functional damage as a result of the ongoing pharmacologic or surgical treatment.
  4. In the estimation of Dr. Weiss and the neurologists have the potential for improvement with BMSC treatment and be at minimal risk of any potential harm from the procedure.
  5. Be over the age of 18 and capable of providing informed consent.
  6. Be medically stable and able to be medically cleared by their primary care physician or a licensed primary care practitioner for the procedure. Medical clearance means that in the estimation of the primary care practitioner, the patient can reasonably be expected to undergo the procedure without significant medical risk to health.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. All patients must be capable of an adequate neurologic examination and evaluation to document the pathology. This will include the ability to cooperate with the exam.
  2. Patients must be capable and willing to undergo follow up neurologic exams with the sub-investigators or their own neurologists as outlined in the protocol.
  3. Patients must be capable of providing informed consent.
  4. In the estimation of Dr. Weiss the BMSC collection and treatment will not present a significant risk of harm to the patient's general health or to their neurologic function. .
  5. Patients who are not medically stable or who may be at significant risk to their health undergoing the procedure will not be eligible.
  6. Women of childbearing age must not be pregnant at the time of treatment and should refrain from becoming pregnant for 3 months post treatment.

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
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Arm 1- Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC
Intervention- Autologous bone marrow aspiration and separation of Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cell (BMSC) fraction then provided intravenously and intranasally (lower 1/3 of nasal passages).
Procedure: Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC
Autologous Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells provided intravenous and intranasal (lower 1/3 of nose)
Other Names:
  • IV and IN BMSC

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Neurologic Function
Time Frame: 0,1,3,6 and 12 months
Neurologic function from prior to treatment (0 month) and the change in neurologic function at 1,3,6 and 12 months post treatment will be compared to pretreatment using the Neuro-QOL (Neurology Quality of Life) questionnaire. The scales of the Neuro-QOL assess the following Outcome Measures: Communication, Social Roles and Activities ,Anxiety , Depression, Emotional and Behavioral Dyscontrol, Lower Extremity Function (Mobility), Positive Affect and Well-Being, Sleep Disturbance, Upper Extremity Function ( Fine Motor, ADL/Activities of Daily Living) , Stigma , Satisfaction with Social roles and Activities, Cognitive Function. The scale for each question ranges from 1 to 5 with 1 being the most impairment and 5 being no impairment; higher numbers are better. The scale can range from 5 indicating no impairment to 45 for significant impairment. Each scale will be recorded and presented as separate Outcome Measurements.
0,1,3,6 and 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

MD Stem Cells

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Steven Levy, MD, MD Stem Cells
  • Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Weiss, MD, Coral Springs, Florida

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 (Actual)

June 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 6, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

June 9, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 6, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 3, 2025

Last Verified

April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • MDSC-NEST

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Study Data/Documents

  1. Clinical Study Report
    Information comments: http://mdstemcells.com/nest/

Drug and device information, study documents

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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