Stimulating brain recovery after stroke with cell therapy

Abstract

I will describe experiments and data designed to induce restoration of neurological function after stroke and traumatic brain injury in rodents. Both cell and pharmacological therapies can evoke brain plasticity and improve functional outcome after stroke and brain trauma. Two types of cell therapy will be described, bone marrow stromal cell (MSC) therapy and administration of cells derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ). MSCs administered intravenously to young and old rodents with stroke significantly reduce neurological deficits, with benefit persisting for months after treatment. The functional benefits appear to arise from an MSC mediated activation of intact and compromised cerebral tissue, which induces angiogenesis, neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. MSCs produce and induce within the injured brain and microvasculature an array of neurotrophic factors and cytokines, which remodel brain. SVZs likewise restore neurological deficits after stroke. Both cell therapies can be non-invasively monitored by magnetically labeling the cells. In addition to cell mediated brain plasticity, data will be presented demonstrating that agents such as NO donors and compounds that increase brain cGMP and VEFG have a profound benefit on neurological function after stroke and these agents provide an additive therapeutic effect to cell therapy.