Autologous Bone Marrow Concentrate (Mononuclear Stem Cell) Therapy in the Treatment of Oral Submucous Fibrosis

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a well-recognized, chronic debilitating and potentially malignant disease of the aerodigestive tract, with initial inflammation followed by progressive fibrosis of the underlying connective tissues which can be treated by stem cell therapy. Aims and objectives: To assess the effectiveness of stem cell therapy in the treatment of OSMF by evaluating the improvement in function and to assess the sustainability of the result with 5 years follow-up. This study also assessed the safety of stem cell therapy for OSMF. Materials and methods: Seven patients with OSMF were selected. Out of seven patients, three were treated with stem cells obtained by Ficoll method and four patients were treated with stem cells obtained by point of care delivery system. Posttreatment improvement in the clinical presentation was assessed and confirmed by histopathological features. The range of follow-up of cases is from 6 months to 5 years. Results: Reduction in blanching, improved/better suppleness of the mucosa, decrease in the burning sensation while consuming spicy food, increase in the mouth opening was observed. The above mentioned results were found to be sustained in the follow-up period. Conclusion: From the results obtained, it is evident that the stem cell therapy has played a role in the improvement of the signs and symptoms probably through neoangiogenesis, antiinflammatory effects and antifibrinolytic effect. However, as this is only a preliminary attempt to assess the safety of stem cell therapy in OSMF, further randomized control trials with larger sample size are required for using this as a possible alternative therapeutic approach.