Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Medically Refractory Crohn’s Disease

A new meta-analysis published in Stem Cell Research & Therapy suggests that stem cell therapy (SCT) may be an effective and safe option for patients with medically refractory Crohn’s disease (CD) or CD-related fistulas, offering hope for those unresponsive to conventional treatments.

The systematic review included 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) encompassing 632 adult patients. Researchers evaluated the impact of SCT on clinical remission (CR) rates and the occurrence of severe adverse events (SAEs). A random-effects model was used to account for heterogeneity, which was minimal across the studies.

SCT demonstrated a significant advantage over placebo or no treatment in achieving CR, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.08 (95% CI, 1.39-3.12; p < 0.001). This benefit was consistent across subgroup analyses, regardless of study design, patient diagnosis, stem cell source and type, or follow-up duration.

In terms of safety, the rate of SAEs did not differ significantly between the SCT and control groups. These findings suggest that SCT is not associated with an increased risk of serious complications, making it a potentially viable therapeutic alternative.

The authors concluded that SCT offers a promising approach for patients with refractory CD or fistulas, addressing a critical need for effective treatments in this population. However, they emphasized the necessity of larger, long-term RCTs to further evaluate SCT’s safety and durability of benefit. As SCT continues to advance, it may play a pivotal role in the future management of CD.

Reference
Qiu Y, Li C, Sheng S. Efficacy and safety of stem cell therapy for Crohn’s disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2024;15(1). doi:10.1186/s13287-024-03637-z