A novel therapeutic management for diabetes patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia: comparison of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells versus allogenic Wharton jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells

BACKGROUND: Chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) represents the final stage of peripheral arterial disease. Approximately one-third of patients with CLTI are not eligible for conventional surgical treatments. Furthermore, patients with advanced stage of CLTI are prone to amputation and death. Thus, an effective therapeutic strategy is urgently needed. In this context, autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (auto-BM-MNC) and allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells represent a promising therapeutic approach for treating CLTI. In this study, we compared the safety and beneficial therapeutic effect of auto-BM-MNC versus allogeneic Wharton jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (allo-WJ-MSCs) in diabetic patients with CLTI. METHODS: We performed a randomized, prospective, double-blind and controlled pilot study. Twenty-four diabetic patients in the advanced stage of CLTI (4 or 5 in Rutherford’s classification) and a transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO(2)) below 30 mmHg were randomized to receive 15 injections of (i) auto-BM-MNC (7.197 × 10(6) ± 2.984 × 10(6) cells/mL) (n = 7), (ii) allo-WJ-MSCs (1.333 × 10(6) cells/mL) (n = 7) or (iii) placebo solution (1 mL) (n = 10), which were administered into the periadventitial layer of the arterial walls under eco-Doppler guidance. The follow-up visits were at months 1, 3, 6, and 12 to evaluate the following parameters: (i) Rutherford’s classification, (ii) TcPO(2), (iii) percentage of wound closure, (iv) pain, (v) pain-free walking distance, (vi) revascularization and limb-survival proportion, and (vii) life quality (EQ-5D questionnaire). RESULTS: No adverse events were reported. Patients with CLTI who received auto-BM-MNC and allo-WJ-MSCs presented an improvement in Rutherford’s classification, a significant increase in TcPO(2) values‬, a reduction in the lesion size in a shorter time, a decrease in the pain score and an increase in the pain-free walking distance, in comparison with the placebo group. In addition, the participants treated with auto-BM-MNC and allo-WJ-MSCs kept their limbs during the follow-up period, unlike the placebo group, which had a marked increase in amputation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that patients with CLTI treated with auto-BM-MNC and allo-WJ-MSCs conserved 100% of their limb during 12 months of the follow-up compared to the placebo group, where 60% of participants underwent limb amputation in different times. Furthermore, we observed a faster improvement in the allo-WJ-MSC group, unlike the auto-BM-MNC group. Trial registration This study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05631444). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-023-03427-z.