title: Case Report: Combination Therapy with Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor in a Case of Spinal Cord Injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various neuroregenerative procedures have been recently employed along with neurorehabilitation programs to promote neurological function after Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), and recently most of them have focused on the acute stage of spinal cord injury. In this report, we present a case of acute SCI treated with neuroprotective treatments in conjunction with conventional rehabilitation program.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case of acute penetrative SCI (gunshot wound), 40 years old, was treated with intrathecal bone marrow derived stem cells and parenteral Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) along with rehabilitation program. The neurological outcomes as well as safety issues have been reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Assessment with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), showed neurological improvement, meanwhile he reported neuropathic pain, which was amenable to oral medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the acute setting, combination therapy of G-CSF and intrathecal Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) was safe in our case as an adjunct to conventional rehabilitation programs. Further controlled studies are needed to find possible side effects, and establish net efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nazi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Derakhshanrad
authors.affiliation: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ; Department of Neurosurgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hooshang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saberi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Keyvan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tayebi Meybodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghvaei
authors.affiliation: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arjmand
authors.affiliation: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Aghayan
authors.affiliation: Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Hassan
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kohan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haghpanahi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahrokh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahmani
keywords: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor; Mesenchymal stem cells; Spinal cord injury