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Review
. 2016 Sep;18(3):256-266.
doi: 10.5853/jos.2016.01263. Epub 2016 Sep 30.

Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Stroke: Challenges and Progress

Oh Young Bang  1   2 , Eun Hee Kim  2 , Jae Min Cha  3   4 , Gyeong Joon Moon  2   5
Affiliations
Review

Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Stroke: Challenges and Progress

Oh Young Bang et al. J Stroke. 2016 Sep.

Abstract

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and physical disability among adults. It has been 15 years since clinical trials of stem cell therapy in patients with stroke have been conducted using adult stem cells like mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow mononuclear cells. Results of randomized controlled trials showed that adult stem cell therapy was safe but its efficacy was modest, underscoring the need for new stem cell therapy strategies. The primary limitations of current stem cell therapies include (a) the limited source of engraftable stem cells, (b) the presence of optimal time window for stem cell therapies, (c) inherited limitation of stem cells in terms of growth, trophic support, and differentiation potential, and (d) possible transplanted cell-mediated adverse effects, such as tumor formation. Here, we discuss recent advances that overcome these hurdles in adult stem cell therapy for stroke.

Keywords: Biomaterials; Mesenchymal stem cells; Stem cells; Stroke.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Hurdles of current stem cell therapy and strategies to overcome the challenges. MSC, mesenchymal stem cell; iPSC, induced pluripotent stem cells; ESC, embryonic stem cells; BBB, blood-brain barrier; EV, extracellular vesicle.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Exchange of information between stem cells and neural cells via EVs. Stem cell-derived EVs can transfer stem cell-specific bioactive molecules, including proteins, mRNAs, and miRs, to injured cells. Thus, EVs can trigger a regenerative program in injured cells in a paracrine manner. Conversely, injured cells may stimulate stem cells by secreting vesicles under pathological conditions.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Advances in technologies that are required for regenerative medicine for stroke.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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