Clinical observations on treating Alzheimer's disease with umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells

Abstract

Background

There are currently no relevant clinical research reports on the application of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (hUCBMCs) treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in humans.

Objective

To observe the clinical efficacy of intravenous transplantation of hUCBMCs in patients with AD.

Methods

Eleven AD patients with Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scores of 1 (mild) or 2 (moderate) were selected. Patients continued standard AD medication and received three intravenous infusions of UCBMCs, spaced seven days apart. Neurological and psychological assessments, including MMSE, ADAS-Cog, ADL, and PSQI scores, were conducted by neurologists at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment. The impact of UCBMCs on cognitive function, daily living activities, sleep disorders, and any adverse reactions were monitored. Repeated measures ANOVA and LSD-t post-hoc tests were used to analyze score changes.

Results

Repeated measures ANOVA revealed differences in MMSE, ADAS-Cog, ADL, and PSQI scores across the evaluated time points. Pairwise comparisons indicated substantial improvements, with MMSE scores increasing at 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment, while ADAS-Cog scores decreased. ADL scores showed improvement at 1 and 3 months, and PSQI scores decreased consistently at all post-treatment intervals. Notably, MMSE and ADL scores peaked at 3 months before gradually declining, ADAS-Cog scores reached their lowest point at 3 months before increasing, and PSQI scores were lowest at 1 month, followed by a gradual rise.

Conclusions

Intravenous infusion of UCBMCs can temporarily improve cognitive function, enhance daily living activities, and alleviate sleep disorders in AD patients, with a high safety profile.