The results of a scientific study among spinal cord injury victims confirms that the bone marrow stem cells in men are relatively more in number than in the same age group of women of reproductive age.

It was also noticed that the decline in the quantity of the stem cells was sharp after the age of 40 in both the genders.

The scientific study was conducted by the Chennai based Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM), an Indo-Japan joint venture institute, along with KG Hospital at Coimbatore and Omega Hospital at Mangalore.

Spinal cord injury following road accident or fall from heights makes the victim confined to wheel chairs due to the inability to move the body parts below the level of injury. Scientists in the NCRM said recently there are instances which prove the safety and efficacy of bone marrow stem cells offering hope to these patients.

Dr Samuel Abraham, the author of the scientific paper said the quantity of bone marrow stem cells, especially the CD 34+ cells, and their concentration per ml of bone marrow in spinal injury victims have not been reported to this detail.

“Our study has revealed that women of reproductive age group have a lower quantity of stem cells than their male counterparts, though the total quantity and concentration of stem cells are more in women in the 0-20 age group. After the age of 60, though the mononuclear cell quantity in women is reaching the same quantity as in men, the CD34+ stem cells are still lesser in women. In general, proportionately men are bigger in the total number of victims of accidents leading to spinal cord injury. In our study too, men to women ratio was 4:1,” he said.

According to Dr J K B C Parthiban, president, Neuro Spine Surgeons Association of India and a co-author in the publication, the bone marrow stem cells offer a great hope to spinal injury victims and we have to thoroughly do research on them to bring out their best potential for treating patients. He said the studies like these are steps towards a better understanding for translation.