29th January 2013

Scientists restore brain function to stroke-affected rats

Stem cells from bone marrow or fat can improve recovery after stroke in rats, according to a study published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy. Treatment with stem cells improved the amount of brain and nerve repair and the ability of the animals to complete behavioural tasks.

Stroke is among the leading causes of death worldwide, killing 5.7 million each year (just under 10% of total deaths). Approximately 9 million people had a stroke in 2008 and 30 million people have previously had a stroke and are still alive.

Stem cell therapy holds enormous promise for the future, but there are many questions which need to be answered regarding treatment protocols and which cell types to use. This study attempted to address some of these questions.

Rats were treated intravenously with stem cells or saline 30 minutes after a stroke. At 24 hours, the stem cell-treated rats showed a better functional recovery. By two weeks, the animals had near-normal scores in tests. This improvement was seen even though the stem cells did not actually migrate to the damaged area of brain. The treated rats also had higher levels of biomarkers implicated in brain repair – including the growth factor VEGF.

A positive result was seen for both fat (adipose) and bone-marrow derived stem cells. Dr Exuperio Díez-Tejedor from La Paz University Hospital, explained: "Improved recovery was seen regardless of origin of the stem cells, which may increase the usefulness of this treatment in human trials. Adipose-derived cells in particular are abundant and easy to collect without invasive surgery."

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