Stem Cell Therapies for Ischemic Brain Conditions
Summary
Ischaemic injury to the brain, whether in the form of stroke or reperfusion trauma, remains a leading cause of disability worldwide. Stem cell therapies offer a multifaceted approach to repair and regeneration by combining cell replacement, paracrine signalling and immunomodulation. Various cell types have been explored, including mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitors and tissue-specific populations such as hair follicle or umbilical-cord derived cells. Transplanted cells may differentiate into neurons or glial cells, secrete neurotrophic factors to support endogenous repair and modulate the post-ischaemic inflammatory milieu. Advances in genetic engineering, biomaterial scaffolds and targeted delivery methods are enhancing cell survival, homing and integration. Despite encouraging results in preclinical models, translation to clinical practice faces obstacles such as optimal dosing, timing, delivery routes, manufacturing consistency and long-term safety. Nonetheless, ongoing refinements in cell isolation, preconditioning and combinatorial strategies are driving this field closer to routine therapeutic application for patients with ischaemic brain injury.
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Stem Cell Therapies for Ischemic Brain Conditions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in stem cell therapies for ischemic brain conditions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ischaemic stroke: Brain injury resulting from interruption of blood supply, causing neuronal death and inflammation.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs): Multipotent stromal cells capable of differentiating into several lineages and secreting paracrine factors.
Neurogenesis: Formation of new neurons from neural stem or progenitor cells.
Angiogenesis: Growth of new blood vessels from existing vasculature.
Paracrine signalling: Local release of factors by cells to influence neighbouring tissue responses.
Microglial polarisation: Shift of brain-resident immune cells between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory phenotypes.
Blood–brain barrier (BBB): Specialized endothelial interface that regulates molecular passage into the central nervous system.
References
- Stem cell-based ischemic stroke therapy: Novel modifications and clinical challenges. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2023).
- Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation supplemented with curcumin improves the outcomes of ischemic stroke via AKT/GSK-3β/β-TrCP/Nrf2 axis. Journal of Neuroinflammation (2023).
- Hepatocyte growth factor-modified hair follicle stem cells ameliorate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Stem Cell Research & Therapy (2023).
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