Feasibility study assessing autologous stem cells in perianal Crohn’s
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of the feasibility of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the management of fistulating perianal Crohn’s disease
IRAS ID
303397
Contact name
Mark Bignell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect any part of the bowel which can be controlled by a combination of medical and surgical treatments but cannot be cured. A 1/3 of patients have involvement of the perianal region. There are several conditions that can affect the perianal region but the most debilitating is the presence of fistulating disease. Fistulae are small tunnels that run under the skin from the inside of the anus to skin outside the anus and are associated with the inflammatory process seen with Crohn’s disease. They can cause pain, infection and discharge which adversely affects the quality of life of the patient. Surgery can be used to treat the symptoms however cure is often difficult to achieve.
Stem cells have anti-inflammatory potential and have been shown to be a useful treatment for this condition in combination with effective medical therapy. The stem cells used in the studies need to be prepared 48h before use which limits their usage and this is not readily available in the UK.
The proposed study aims to assess the feasibility of using autologous stem cells prepared with a rapid preparation system at the time of surgery, within the operating room (currently in use at OUH within the orthopaedic department for a different indication) for fistulating anal Crohn’s disease. The stem cells are derived from the patients own bone marrow. The patients undergoing surgery would be having it done for the stem cell treatment. They will then undergo 3 follow up visits and complete questionnaires at each visit alongside a clinical assessment. This study is funded by Occtopus (Colorectal charity based in Oxford).REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0647
Date of REC Opinion
28 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion