Introduction: Stroke is the leading cause of neurological disability in adults worldwide. It involves the significant impairment of sensory-motor function caused by cerebral ischemia and subsequent neuronal death and irreversible consequences. ascribed to a lack of medical or surgical treatments to improve neurological function and neurogenesis, chronic stroke places a massive burden on patients, their families, and society. Preclinical research over the past few decades has shown that in animal models of stroke, hematopoietic growth factors and stem cell administration or transplantation can improve recovery and functional outcomes in the post-ischemic brain. Stem cell therapy shows promise in reconstructing neuronal circuits and could be the next-generation therapy for stroke patients because it can prevent neuronal cell apoptosis, inhibit pro-inflammatory cell recruitment, secrete multiple neurotropic factors, and promote neural differentiation. In this review, we will provide a synopsis of different preclinical and clinical studies related to the use of stem cell-based stroke therapy
Methods: The papers included in this article were obtained from PubMed and MEDLINE databases. The
following medical subject headings (MeSH) were used: “stem cell therapy”, “post-stroke neurogenesis”,
“stem-cells stroke”, “stroke neurogenesis”, “stroke stem cells”, “stroke”, “cell therapy”, “neuroregeneration”,
“neurogenesis”, “stem-cell human”, “cell therapy in humans”.
Results: Stem cell therapy has shown promising efficacy in the treatment of stroke, with various types of stem cells being studied, including granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, mesenchymal stem cells, autologous CD34+ peripheral blood stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells, and autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, the administration or transplantation of hematopoietic growth factors and stem cells has demonstrated positive outcomes in terms of enhancing neurological function and neurogenesis in stroke patients. Among stem cell types, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently the most extensively utilized for stroke therapy and have shown advantages in reducing apoptosis, neuro-inflammation, and enhancing angiogenesis in animal models of stroke. Human umbilical cord matrix MSCs (HUCMSCs) have also displayed potential to promote tissue repair, functional angiogenesis, and neuroplasticity in animal models of stroke. Additionally, the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) has demonstrated efficacy in improving neurological function in patients with acute ischemic stroke; however, the degree of improvement may vary among individuals. Notably, a randomized controlled trial demonstrated the efficacy of GCSF treatment for acute ischemic stroke patients by yielding significant improvements in neurological function. Nevertheless, there are still concerns about administering stem cells directly into the brain through the intra-arterial route due to the potential for cell clumping and microthrombi formation. Consequently, some studies have found that intracerebroventricular administration of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) was more efficacious for neurological recovery compared to intravenous administration; nevertheless, this method also presents its own challenges.
Conclusion: Stroke is the leading global cause of adult neurological disability, which causes sensory-motor function
impairment and neuronal death; however, there are currently no medical or surgical treatments to improve neurological function and neurogenesis in chronic stroke. Growing translational and clinical evidence has demonstrated the potential effectiveness of hematopoietic growth factors and stem cell transplantation as therapies for stroke.