Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy in Multiple System Atrophy

Exclusion Criteria

• •Any of the following conditions will exclude the participant from entering the study:
• •1. Women of childbearing potential who do not practice an acceptable method of birth control. Acceptable methods of birth control in this study are: surgical sterilization, intrauterine devices, partner's vasectomy, a double-protection method (condom or diaphragm with spermicide), hormonal contraceptive drug (i.e., oral contraceptive, contraceptive patch, long-acting injectable contraceptive) with a required second mode of contraception.
• •2. Participants with a clinically significant or unstable medical or surgical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, might preclude safe completion of the study or might affect the results of the study. These include conditions causing significant central nervous system (CNS) or autonomic dysfunction, including congestive heart failure, recent (\<6 months) myocardial infarct, cardiopulmonary disease, severe, uncontrolled hypertension, thrombocytopenia (\<50 x 10(9)/L), severe anemia (\<8g/dl), immunocompromised state, liver or kidney disease (creatinine \>2.3mg/dl), uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c \>10g%), alcoholism, amyloidosis, uncontrolled hypothyroidism, sympathectomy, unstable peripheral neuropathies, concurrent infections, orthopedic problems that compromise mobility and activity of daily living, cerebrovascular accidents, neurotoxin or neuroactive drug exposure, parkinsonism due to drugs (including neuroleptics, alpha-methyldopa, reserpine, metoclopramide).
• •3. Participants with malignant neoplasms.
• •4. Participants who have taken any investigational products within 60 days prior to baseline.
• •5. Medications that could affect autonomic function. If patients are taking those medications, those will be suspended prior to autonomic testing. Therapy with midodrine, anticholinergic, alpha and beta adrenergic antagonists or other medications that affect autonomic function will be withdrawn 48 hours prior to autonomic evaluations. Fludrocortisone doses up to 0.2 mg per day will be permitted.
• •6. Diseases with features of Parkinsons Disease; e.g., diffuse Lewy body disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, essential tremor, hereditary olivopontocerebellar atrophy, or postencephalitic parkinsonism.
• •7. Dementia (DSM-IV criteria - American Psychiatric Association 1994). The score on the Mini-Mental State Examination must be \>24.
• •8. History of electroconvulsive therapy.
• •9. History of brain surgery for Parkinsons disease.
• •10. Patients with contraindication for MRI scanning, including those with MRI-incompatible pacemakers
• •11. Patients with active systemic infection or local infection, which is close to the spinal injection site