Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

A regenerative path alongside neurorehabilitation

After a spinal cord injury, the first goals are lifesaving care and stabilization. Once that window closes, most people face a long arc of recovery shaped by lingering inflammation, glial scarring, fragile micro-circulation, and disrupted signaling between surviving neurons. Even with excellent rehab, progress may plateau when the injured cord’s biology stays hostile to repair. Stem-cell–based therapy is being developed as an adjunct to lower that inflammatory “noise,” support blood flow and myelin health, and make the cord more receptive to training. Our lead platform is human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) for their potent, consistent paracrine (cell-to-cell signaling) profile.

How UC-MSCs may help the injured cord

UC-MSCs don’t need to become neurons to matter; they act as cellular coordinators. Their secreted signals—growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular vesicles/exosomes—work on several SCI bottlenecks at once:

• Immune recalibration: calming overactive microglia and astrocytes that keep the lesion “hot,” reducing bystander damage.
• Vascular support: stabilizing the blood–spinal cord barrier and improving micro-circulation so oxygen and nutrients reach vulnerable tracts.
• Myelin & axon support: delivering neurotrophic cues that protect oligodendrocytes, encourage remyelination, and foster axonal sprouting across and around the lesion.
• Scar remodeling: nudging fibroglial activity toward a friendlier matrix that allows signals to traverse surviving pathways.

In plain terms: UC-MSC signals aim to make the cord less inflamed, better perfused, and more plastic, so rehabilitation can translate into function.

What improvement tends to look like

When biology tilts in your favor, practical wins usually show up first:

• Motor & trunk control: steadier core activation, cleaner transfers, improved selective movement (hand prehension or ankle control in incomplete injuries).
• Walking metrics (when applicable): faster 10-Meter Walk, longer 6-Minute Walk, and better WISCI II levels; gait feels more efficient with fewer compensations.
• Upper limb function (cervical injuries): better grasp/release, reach-to-grasp smoothness, and endurance on tasks (captured by GRASSP/ARAT).
• Spasticity & tone: fewer spasms and more predictable responses to stretching/strength blocks (tracked by Modified Ashworth Scale).
• Sensation & autonomic: incremental sensory return, improved orthostatic tolerance, and steadier bladder/bowel routines.

Clinically, we pair this with objective trend lines: ISNCSCI/ASIA motor–sensory scores, SCIM (independence), pain and spasticity scales, and targeted physiologic tests. Improvements are gradual—weeks to months—because we are remodeling biology, not installing a mechanical fix.

Stages of SCI and how regenerative support fits

Acute/subacute (days to weeks): the priorities are neuroprotection and micro-circulation while rehab begins. Calming inflammatory cascades early may preserve more viable tissue and set the stage for better training responses.
Early chronic (months): focus shifts to plasticity—supporting remyelination and synaptic reorganization while spasticity, pain, and fatigue are managed so therapy volume can climb.
Established chronic (months to years): even long after injury, paracrine signals can still improve the “terrain”—reducing neuroinflammation and supporting small-vessel health—so technology-assisted rehab (FES, robotics, task-specific practice) sticks more reliably.

Delivery routes you may hear about

Depending on goals and context, studies have explored intravenous (systemic immunomodulation and vascular support) and intrathecal (CSF exposure to the cord) delivery, and targeted local approaches in research settings. Cell-free options—purified exosomes/secretome—carry many of the same messages without whole-cell transplantation and can be timed around rehab blocks, travel, or procedures. Your plan emphasizes biology and function—not a one-size-fits-all route.

Why umbilical-cord sources are a strong fit

UC-MSCs expand efficiently and maintain a “younger,” pro-repair secretome with immunomodulatory, anti-fibrotic, pro-angiogenic, and neurotrophic signals. These traits map well to SCI, where immune tone, blood flow, and myelin/axon support must improve together. Bone-marrow (BM-MSC) and adipose-derived MSCs (AD-MSC) share many core behaviors and are also used; emerging platforms such as neural stem cells, oligodendrocyte progenitors, and iPSC-derived lineages are being studied primarily for targeted remyelination or circuit repair. For day-to-day clinical use, MSC-based immunomodulation and trophic support remains the most practical path, with cell-free derivatives as a flexible complement.

Integrations that amplify results

Regenerative signals work best when paired with high-quality neurorehabilitation:

• Task-specific therapy: locomotor training, body-weight-supported treadmill, over-ground gait practice, and FES cycling/stepping to reinforce meaningful patterns.
• Upper-limb programs: grasp/release task practice with EMG-guided feedback, progressive resistance, and dexterity blocks.
• Spasticity strategy: tone mapping, stretching, strengthening through range, and targeted modalities so practice volume rises without setbacks.
• Autonomic & skin care: bowel/bladder routines, orthostatic training, and pressure-injury prevention protect gains and keep rehab uninterrupted.
• Breath & cardio conditioning: inspiratory muscle training and interval work to raise endurance and reduce fatigue during therapy.

Who tends to benefit most

Patterns we see repeatedly: incomplete injuries (AIS C–D) seeking fuller carryover from therapy; plateaued chronic cases where spasticity, pain, or fatigue limits training; post-surgical stabilized patients aiming to accelerate independence; and motivated rehab teams ready to harness biologic calm into measurable function.

How we integrate this at Vega Stem Cell

For this program, we recommend intravenous (IV) stem cell infusion, typically calculated according to body weight or administered as a double-dose protocol to enhance delivery to the spinal and peripheral nervous system. This approach helps reduce neuroinflammation, support neural repair, and improve circulation and tissue recovery.

Treatment is integrated with task-specific rehabilitation, where cellular regeneration is paired with progressive movement blocks—beginning with posture and mobility training, advancing to strength and coordination exercises, and ultimately focusing on independence in daily function.

Follow-ups are conducted every few weeks to months, tracking functional scores, rehabilitation volume, wearable activity data, and real-life performance, ensuring the program remains data-driven and continuously aligned with your recovery goals.

Putting it all together

Spinal cord injury persists when neuroinflammation, micro-vascular stress, and scar-driven stiffness keep the nervous system from learning efficiently. UC-MSC–centered therapy aims to tilt that biology back—quieter immune tone, sturdier blood–spinal cord barriers, protected myelin/axons, and a matrix friendlier to plasticity—so rehabilitation translates into cleaner movement, steadier endurance, better independence, and metrics that match how you actually live.