Synopsis
Recent findings from a study indicate that modified stem cells may significantly enhance brain recovery in stroke survivors. This novel therapy demonstrates potential benefits even a month post-stroke, offering hope for improved brain function and recovery.Key Takeaways
- Modified stem cells show potential for brain recovery post-stroke.
- Only 5% of ischemic stroke patients fully recover.
- The therapy can be effective even a month after a stroke.
- Research conducted by Gladstone Institutes.
- Clinical trials suggest regained control over limbs.
New Delhi, Jan 18 (NationPress) Modified stem cells present a remarkable new potential for enhancing brain function in individuals who have experienced a stroke, as revealed by recent research.
Survivors of the most prevalent form of stroke, known as ischemic stroke, achieve full recovery in only about 5 percent of cases. Patients who have had a stroke often endure lasting challenges, including weakness, chronic pain, or epilepsy.
Researchers at Gladstone Institutes demonstrated that a cell therapy based on stem cells can restore typical brain activity patterns post-stroke. Unlike most treatments, which are effective only when administered shortly after a stroke, this new therapy, tested in rats, showed promise even when applied a month later.
The groundbreaking study, published in the journal Molecular Therapy, is the first to explore the impact of stem cells on brain function. Its findings could pave the way for advancements in stem cell therapies and contribute to the creation of other treatments with similar effects on the brain.
In this investigation, the research team evaluated the innovative stem cell therapy in rats. This therapy has been in clinical development for over ten years, targeting stroke and traumatic brain injuries.
Clinical trials have already indicated that, in certain patients, these stem cells can assist individuals in regaining control over their limbs.
However, the scientific community remained uncertain about the brain changes that facilitated these symptom improvements.
The team, led by Jeanne Paz, injected modified human stem cells into the brains of the animals near the injury site, one month after the stroke occurred.
To assess the benefits, the researchers analyzed electrical activity in the brain alongside individual cells and molecules. The findings indicated a reversal of brain hyperexcitability in the stroke-affected rats, contributing to the restoration of balance within neural networks.
Additionally, the treatment enhanced the quantity of proteins and cells essential for brain function and repair. Although fewer than one percent of the human cells remained in the rats' brains a week post-transplant, the effects of the transplant were long-lasting, as noted by Paz.
