Stem cell therapy as a promising approach for ischemic stroke treatment

TL;DR

Stem cell therapy shows promise for treating ischemic stroke, but its mechanisms and safety remain unclear.

Contribution

This paper reviews stem cell-based approaches for ischemic stroke and highlights their potential and challenges.

Findings

Stem cell therapies offer neuroprotective and regenerative benefits for stroke treatment.

Current surgical and drug-based treatments have significant risks and limitations.

Safety and the precise mechanisms of stem cell action in stroke remain major challenges.

Abstract

Ischemia as the most common type of stroke is the main cause of death and disability in the world. However, there are few therapeutic approaches to treat ischemic stroke. The common approach to the treatment of ischemia includes surgery-cum-chemical drugs. Surgery and chemical drugs are used to remove blood clots to prevent the deterioration of the nervous system. Given the surgical hazards and the challenges associated with chemical drugs, these cannot be considered safe approaches to the treatment of brain ischemia. Besides surgery-cum-chemical drugs, different types of stem cells including mesenchymal stem cells and neurological stem cells have been considered to treat ischemic stroke. Therapeutic approaches utilizing stem cells to treat strokes are promising because of their neuroprotective and regenerative benefits. However, the mechanisms by which the transplanted stem cells perform their precisely actions are unknown. The purpose of this study is to critically review stem cell-based therapeutic approaches for ischemia along with related challenges.

The mechanism of the function of the tPA for the treatment of ischemic stroke and its risks. With the cleavage of plasminogen, the tPA produces the active enzyme of the plasmin, which in turn dissolves fibrin-based clots in ischemic stroke. When given to patients, the tPA effectively causes ischemic brain reperfusion. Increased tPA proteolytic activity results in increasing edema and inflammatory signals, and destruction of the blood barrier which makes the consequences of stroke more complicated. Also, tPA administration, especially its delayed prescription, is associated with increased intra-skull bleeding, hemorrhagic transformation and death.Image 1

•Conventional stroke treatment integrates surgery and pharmaceutical interventions.•Stem cell therapies emerge as a promising avenue in stroke treatment.•Safety remains a paramount challenge in the realm of stem cell therapy for stroke.

Conventional stroke treatment integrates surgery and pharmaceutical interventions.

Stem cell therapies emerge as a promising avenue in stroke treatment.

Safety remains a paramount challenge in the realm of stem cell therapy for stroke.

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