title: Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell infusion for the stabilization of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
abstract: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is the most frequent acquired renal condition resulting in end stage kidney disease in children. We describe a cell therapy treatment with human allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) in a 13-year-old patient developing recurrent FSGS after renal transplantation, which was not responding to conventional therapy. This treatment relied on the following measurements:clinical and laboratory evaluation of renal function, proteome array, biopsy, short tandem repeat assay. Before MSC treatment, the patient needed weekly plasmapheresis to achieve proteinuria-to-creatininuria ratio below 5. After three MSC infusions without adverse events, the patient has a stable renal function and the proteinuria target was reached without plasmapheresis. In addition, some circulating inflammatory factors decreased and their levels were still low after one year. This is the first report of an MSC treatment in an FSGS patient. Even though different factors may have contributed to the clinical results, after MSC infusion a stable reduction in the serum level of several inflammatory factors has been registered and the patient does not need anymore plasmapheresis to keep proteinuria under control. In addition, this encouraging single case let us identify some putative efficacy biomarkers that could be of clinical interest in chronic kidney diseases.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belingheri
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parazzi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Groppali
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biagi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaipa
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rastaldi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Croci
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rebulla
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Edefonti
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis; Inflammatory factors; Mesenchymal stem cells