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AzTrials

Neurologic DisordersNESTNCT02795052

Neurologic Stem Cell Treatment Study

A study testing Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC in people with Neurologic Disorders and Nervous System Diseases, run by MD Stem Cells at 3 sites in 2 countries.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

This is a human clinical study involving the isolation of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSC) and transfer to the vascular system and inferior 1/3 of the nasal passages in order to determine if such a treatment will provide improvement in neurologic function for patients with certain neurologic… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
What is being tested?
Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
500 participants
Where
3 sitesin 2 countries
Study dates
Jun 2016to 31 Jul 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Have documented functional damage to the central or peripheral nervous system unlikely to improve with present standard of care.
  • Be at least 6 months post-onset of the disease.
  • If under current medical therapy (pharmacologic or surgical treatment) for the condition be considered stable on that treatment and unlikely to have reversal of the associated neurologic functional damage as a result of the ongoing pharmacologic or surgical treatment.
  • In the estimation of Dr. Weiss and the neurologists have the potential for improvement with BMSC treatment and be at minimal risk of any potential harm from the procedure.
  • Be over the age of 18 and capable of providing informed consent.
  • Be medically stable and able to be medically cleared by their primary care physician or a licensed primary care practitioner for the procedure. Medical clearance means that in the estimation of the primary care practitioner, the patient can reasonably be expected to undergo the procedure without significant medical risk to health.

Who cannot join

  • All patients must be capable of an adequate neurologic examination and evaluation to document the pathology. This will include the ability to cooperate with the exam.
  • Patients must be capable and willing to undergo follow up neurologic exams with the sub-investigators or their own neurologists as outlined in the protocol.
  • Patients must be capable of providing informed consent.
  • In the estimation of Dr. Weiss the BMSC collection and treatment will not present a significant risk of harm to the patient's general health or to their neurologic function. .
  • Patients who are not medically stable or who may be at significant risk to their health undergoing the procedure will not be eligible.
  • Women of childbearing age must not be pregnant at the time of treatment and should refrain from becoming pregnant for 3 months post treatment.

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 2 countries. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

3 sites in 2 countries

United States2 sites, 2 recruiting
  • MD Stem Cells

    Coral Springs, Florida, 33065

    Steven Levy, MD, Study Director, 203-423-9494, stevenlevy@mdstemcells.com

    203-423-9494

    Recruiting
  • MD Stem Cells

    Westport, Connecticut, 06880

    Steven Levy, MD, Study Director, 203-423-9494, stevenlevy@mdstemcells.com

    203-423-9494

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

United Arab Emirates1 site, 1 recruiting
  • The Saudi-German Hospital

    Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 337-1500

    Steven Levy, MD, (001) 203-423-9494, stevenlevy@mdstemcells.com

    Steven Levy, 001-203-423-9494, stevenlevy@mdstemcells.com

    Recruiting

Other trials in United Arab Emirates

About this study

Official title: Neurologic Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cell Treatment Study

This is a human clinical study involving the isolation of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSC) and transfer to the vascular system and inferior 1/3 of the nasal passages in order to determine if such a treatment will provide improvement in neurologic function for patients with certain neurologic conditions. http://mdstemcells.com/nest/

Read the detailed description

Various clinical studies have registered with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study neurologic diseases and damage. There have also been a number of journal reports of the benefits of treatment with BMSC for diseases and damage to nervous tissue. The investigators hope to add to the volume of literature regarding the use of BMSC in those neurologic diseases and conditions identified as likely to respond to this treatment.

Intravenous administration of BMSC is a well-established approach to neurologic disease and injury with much support for its effectiveness in the pre-clinical and clinical literature. BMSC and the associated bone marrow fraction are posited to have a number of different mechanisms by which they may potentially improve neurologic function. In regards their ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier for potential neuronal transdifferentiation and direct impact on the neurons and glial tissue within the brain, it should be remembered that within the diencephalon there are specific circumventricular organs which lie in the wall of the third ventricle. These are noteworthy for a significantly diminished blood-brain barrier and glial limitans which facilitates their function of coordinating homeostatic mechanisms of the endocrine and nervous systems. Therefore the investigators believe entry of BMSC may be facilitated in this area of the brain.

The NEST Study provides a treatment Arm 1 which combines intravenous BMSC with topical application of BMSC to the lower 1/3 of the nasal passages as a means of introducing BMSC to the Central Nervous System (CNS). This is applied bilaterally to the inferior nasal conchas and meatuses. The Trigeminal Nerve or 5th Cranial Nerve is a paired, large sensory and motor nerve with multiple branches. It provides sensation to the surface and interior structures of the face including the nasal mucosa that lines the nose. The nerves of the Trigeminal Nerve providing sensation to this area converge and enter the brain at the level of the pons. There is documentation in the scientific literature that intranasal delivery of BMSC allows the BMSC to follow the pathways of the trigeminal nerve, facilitating entry into the parenchyma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) for effects on the CNS.

Being tested
Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC
Keywords
Neurologic Disease, Cerebral Vascular Accident, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinsons Disease, Neuropathy, Diabetic Neuropathy, Cerebral Ischemia, Cognitive Impairment, Dementia, Neurodegeneration
Medical subject headings
Nervous System Diseases, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Stroke, Brain Injuries, Traumatic, CADASIL, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Cerebral Infarction, Brain Ischemia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Intravenous and Intranasal BMSCProcedure or surgery

    Also called IV and IN BMSC

    Autologous Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells provided intravenous and intranasal (lower 1/3 of nose)

Study groups in NCT02795052
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Arm 1- Intravenous and Intranasal BMSCOtherIntervention- Autologous bone marrow aspiration and separation of Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cell (BMSC) fraction then provided intravenously and intranasally (lower 1/3 of nasal passages).
Receives: Procedure: Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Neurologic Function

    Neurologic function from prior to treatment (0 month) and the change in neurologic function at 1,3,6 and 12 months post treatment will be compared to pretreatment using the Neuro-QOL (Neurology Quality of Life) questionnaire. The scales of the Neuro-QOL assess the following Outcome Measures: Communication, Social Roles and Activities ,Anxiety , Depression, Emotional and Behavioral Dyscontrol, Lower Extremity Function (Mobility), Positive Affect and Well-Being, Sleep Disturbance, Upper Extremity Function ( Fine Motor, ADL/Activities of Daily Living) , Stigma , Satisfaction with Social roles and Activities, Cognitive Function. The scale for each question ranges from 1 to 5 with 1 being the most impairment and 5 being no impairment; higher numbers are better. The scale can range from 5 indicating no impairment to 45 for significant impairment. Each scale will be recorded and presented as separate Outcome Measurements.

    Measured: 0,1,3,6 and 12 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Jun 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startJun 2016
  3. Primary completion31 Jul 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Jul 2028 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Intravenous and intranasal bone marrow derived stem cells.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
500 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02795052
Sponsor's protocol ID
MDSC-NEST
Acronym
NEST
Status last verified
Jun 2026
First submitted
6 Jun 2016
Last updated
26 Jun 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Chapman CD, Frey WH 2nd, Craft S, Danielyan L, Hallschmid M, Schioth HB, Benedict C. Intranasal treatment of central nervous system dysfunction in humans. Pharm Res. 2013 Oct;30(10):2475-84. doi: 10.1007/s11095-012-0915-1. Epub 2012 Nov 8.

    PubMed 23135822
  • Jiang Y, Zhu J, Xu G, Liu X. Intranasal delivery of stem cells to the brain. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2011 May;8(5):623-32. doi: 10.1517/17425247.2011.566267. Epub 2011 Mar 19.

    PubMed 21417782
  • Bhasin A, Srivastava M, Bhatia R, Mohanty S, Kumaran S, Bose S. Autologous intravenous mononuclear stem cell therapy in chronic ischemic stroke. J Stem Cells Regen Med. 2012 Nov 26;8(3):181-9. doi: 10.46582/jsrm.0803011. eCollection 2012.

    PubMed 24693196
  • Teixeira FG, Carvalho MM, Sousa N, Salgado AJ. Mesenchymal stem cells secretome: a new paradigm for central nervous system regeneration? Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Oct;70(20):3871-82. doi: 10.1007/s00018-013-1290-8. Epub 2013 Mar 1.

    PubMed 23456256
  • Lescaudron L, Naveilhan P, Neveu I. The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine for Parkinson's and Huntington's Diseases. Curr Med Chem. 2012;19(35):6018-35.

    PubMed 22963567
  • Laroni A, de Rosbo NK, Uccelli A. Mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of neurological diseases: Immunoregulation beyond neuroprotection. Immunol Lett. 2015 Dec;168(2):183-90. doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2015.08.007. Epub 2015 Aug 18.

    PubMed 26296458
  • Anbari F, Khalili MA, Bahrami AR, Khoradmehr A, Sadeghian F, Fesahat F, Nabi A. Intravenous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promotes neural regeneration after traumatic brain injury. Neural Regen Res. 2014 May 1;9(9):919-23. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.133133.

    PubMed 25206912
  • Weiss JN, Levy S. Neurologic Stem Cell Treatment Study (NEST) using bone marrow derived stem cells for the treatment of neurological disorders and injuries: study protocol for a nonrandomized efficacy trial. Clin Trials Degener Dis. 2016 [cited 2019 Jun 18];1:176-80.

  • Cella D, Lai JS, Nowinski CJ, Victorson D, Peterman A, Miller D, Bethoux F, Heinemann A, Rubin S, Cavazos JE, Reder AT, Sufit R, Simuni T, Holmes GL, Siderowf A, Wojna V, Bode R, McKinney N, Podrabsky T, Wortman K, Choi S, Gershon R, Rothrock N, Moy C. Neuro-QOL: brief measures of health-related quality of life for clinical research in neurology. Neurology. 2012 Jun 5;78(23):1860-7. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e318258f744. Epub 2012 May 9.

    PubMed 22573626
  • Cella D, Nowinski C, Peterman A, Victorson D, Miller D, Lai JS, Moy C. The neurology quality-of-life measurement initiative. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2011 Oct;92(10 Suppl):S28-36. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2011.01.025.

    PubMed 21958920

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Intravenous and Intranasal BMSC in people with Neurologic Disorders and Nervous System Diseases, run by MD Stem Cells at 3 sites in 2 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites in United States, United Arab Emirates. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Steven Levy, MD (203-423-9494, stevenlevy@mdstemcells.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Neurologic Function (time frame: 0,1,3,6 and 12 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02795052, which also lists 10 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jun 2026.

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