Safety and Efficacy of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

We aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Six Chinese and English databases were searched for related randomized controlled trials from the establishment of the databases to 28 February 2023. Two investigators performed screening and a comprehensive analysis and evaluated the quality of the studies. They extracted information from the included studies, and managed and analzsed the data using RevMan 5.4.1 software (The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University). Finally, they performed meta and heterogeneity analyses and created a risk-of-bias map. A total of 13 high-quality articles were included. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of the experimental group differed significantly from those of the control group at 3 months (I 2 <50%, mean difference [MD] = −2.88, P < 0.001) after treatment. The Fugl–Meyer assessment (FMA) scores of the experimental group varied significantly from that of the control group at 1 month (I 2 >50%, MD = 15.94, P < 0.001), 3 months (I 2 >50%, MD = 12.71, P < 0.001), and 6 months (I 2 >50%, MD = 13.76, P < 0.001) after treatment, and the overall difference (I 2 >50%, MD = 14.38, P ≤ 0.001) was significant. The functional independence measure (FIM) scores were significantly different from that of the control group at 1 month (I 2 >50%, MD = 20.04, P = 0.02), 3 months (I 2 >50%, MD = 15.51, P < 0.001), and 6 months (I 2 >50%, MD = 13.46, P = 0.03). There was no significant increase in adverse events compared with the traditional treatment regimen. To some extent, BMMSC transplantation can improve the neurological deficit, motor function, and daily living ability of patients with ischemic stroke.