| Currently there is no effective therapeutic | | | | When considering stem cell therapy for the |
| approach to reverse the brain damage caused by | | | | treatment of stroke, it is important to remember |
| stroke because adult brain cells have limited ability | | | | that brain is a very complex structure containing a |
| for self-repair and spontaneous axonal | | | | maze of various cells, neuronal extensions, |
| regeneration. | | | | electrical signals and chemical transmissions, |
| At the first glance, the repair of human brain | | | | presenting extremely difficult task for its |
| after stroke appears unrealistic as there is a loss | | | | regeneration and functional recovery. |
| of countless number of neurons and glial cells. The | | | | To be efficient, stem cell-based therapies for |
| functional improvement after stroke requires | | | | stroke are expected to fulfill two goals: they have |
| neuro-restorative process that includes | | | | to provide better circulation in brain through |
| neurogenesis, angiogenesis and synaptic plasticity, | | | | angiogenesis or neoangiogenesis, and to |
| or ability of the connection between two neurons | | | | regenerate lost brain tissue. |
| to change its strength. Stem cell therapy has the | | | | Stem Cell Therapy for Stroke report shows |
| potential to induce all three neuro-restorative | | | | pipeline that contains only eight R & D products |
| processes and to facilitate functional recovery | | | | undergoing development by 11 companies. Out of |
| offering a new approach to regenerate damaged | | | | eight products only one product is in Phase III |
| brain tissue in stroke patients. | | | | clinical trials and for one product the Investigational |
| However, in comparison to stem cell-based | | | | New Drug (IND) application is approved. Further |
| therapy for other indications, such as cardiac | | | | analysis reveals that this R & D pipeline is the |
| diseases, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes and | | | | most conservative when compared to stem cell |
| even spinal cord injury, the number of preclinical | | | | therapeutic R & D pipelines for the treatment of |
| research or clinical studies in patients with stroke | | | | cardiac diseases, peripheral arterial disease, |
| is very limited. This is the reason that there is still | | | | diabetes and spinal cord injury. |
| uncertainty in selection of the best type of stem | | | | The majority (87%) of stem cells used for the |
| cells for cellular grafts in stroke, or understanding | | | | treatment of spinal cord injury are mesenchymal |
| of mechanisms involved in functional recovery and | | | | stem cells and mesenchymal-like stem cells, which |
| structural reorganization of damaged brain. | | | | are undifferentiated in 88% of those products. |