Cell therapy as a treatment of secondary lymphedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Lafuente H., Jaunarena I., Ansuategui E., Lekuona A., Izeta A.
Meta-analysis, published in Stem Cell Res Ther (2021) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Meta-analysis
- Journal
- Stem Cell Res Ther (2021)
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- Europe PMC
- PMID
- 34801084
- PMCID
- PMC8605543
- DOI
- 10.1186/s13287-021-02632-y
- Citations
- 12
Abstract (original English)
Background Lymphedema, the accumulation of interstitial fluid caused by poor lymphatic drainage, is a progressive and permanent disease with no curative treatment. Several studies have evaluated cell-based therapies in secondary lymphedema, but no meta-analysis has been performed to assess their efficacy. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of all available preclinical and clinical studies, with assessment of their quality and risk of bias. Results A total of 20 articles using diverse cell types were selected for analysis, including six clinical trials and 14 pre-clinical studies in three species. The meta-analysis showed a positive effect of cell-based therapies on relevant disease outcomes (quantification of edema, density of lymphatic capillaries, evaluation of the lymphatic flow, and tissue fibrosis). No significant publication bias was observed. Conclusion Cell-based therapies have the potential to improve secondary lymphedema. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Due to relevant heterogeneity between studies, further randomized controlled and blinded studies are required to substantiate the use of these novel therapies in clinical practice.
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
Evidence level
Relatively higher-quality human studies compared with other topics in this database, e.g. multiple RCTs or systematic reviews. This does not mean it is standard or approved care.
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