Stem Cells Reverse Stroke Damage in Mice
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- Stem cell transplantation can reverse stroke damage, researchers report.
- Its beneficial effects include regeneration of neurons and restoration of motor functions, marking a milestone in the treatment of brain disorders.
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Stem cell transplantation can reverse stroke damage, researchers report.
Its beneficial effects include regeneration of neurons and restoration of motor functions, marking a milestone in the treatment of brain disorders.
One in four adults suffer a stroke in thier lifetime,leaving around half of them with residual damage such as paralysis or speech impairment because internal bleeding or a lack of oxygen supply kill brain cells irreversibly. No therapies currently exist to repair this kind of damage.
“That’s why it is essential to pursue new therapeutic approaches to potential brain regeneration after diseases or accidents,” says Christian Tackenberg, the scientific head of division in the neurodegeneration group at the University of Zurich (UZH) Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Neural stem cells have the potential to regenerate brain tissue, as a team led by Tackenberg and postdoctoral researcher Rebecca Weber has now shown in two studies they conducted in collaboration with a group headed by Ruslan Rust from the University of Southern California.
“Our findings show that neural stem cells not only form new neurons, but also induce other regeneration processes,” Tackenberg says.
The studies employed human neural stem cells, from which diffrent cell types of the nervous system can form. The stem cells were derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, which in turn can be manufactured from normal human somatic cells. For their investigation, the researchers induced a permanent stroke in mice, the characteristics of which closely resemble manifestation of stroke in humans. The animals were genetically modified so that they would not reject the human stem cells.
One week after stroke induction,the research team transplanted neural stem cells into the injured brain region and o
One week after stroke induction, the research team transplanted neural stem cells into the injured brain region and observed significant improvements in motor function.The stem cells not only differentiated into new neurons but also stimulated the formation of new blood vessels and reduced inflammation in the damaged area.
“We were surprised to see that the stem cells didn’t just replace the lost neurons, but