Stem Cell Injection Protects Against Nerve Cell Death After Stroke,
Study Suggest
ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2007) — Scientists have tested the
capabilities of cellular therapy for ischemic stroke treatment on
rats. It has turned out that intravenous transplantation of
mesenchymal stem cells restores cerebrum blood supply and protects
its nerve cells from death. Under anaesthetic, the rats' medium
cerebral artery was pinched in order to impair the blood supply in
the left hemisphere. Three days later, the animals were intravenously
injected the mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from the marrow. These
cells are able to differentiate into the cells of other tissues,
including nerve cells.
One group of the animals were false-operated – the operation was
performed on them but the artery had not been pinched. The reference
group animals' artery was pinched but the stem cells were not
introduced. The MSCs for transplantation were singled out from the
marrow of thigh-bones of other animals of the same laboratory line,
the MSCs were marked by a fluorescent dye and injected into the
laboratory rats' caudal vein. The animals' cerebrum was investigated
six weeks later.
Specialists of the "Trans-Technologies
with participation of Scientific Research Institute of Experimental
Medicine, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (St. Petersburg) were
involved with the research.
There turned out to be unexpectedly few luminescent cells in the
cerebrum specimen, and they were located not in the affected cortex
zone but nearby ventricles of brain. This is strange as the
specialists of "Tans-Technologies" have experimentally shown that
stem cells introduced into the bloodstream come to the damaged tissue
in several days. But nevertheless the stem cells introduction turned
out effective for restoration of the affected brain. The area of
affected zone with the experimental rats was less than that with the
untreated animals.
Transplantation enables to preserve the parts of brain responsible
for formation of emotions and motion regulation. With the untreated
rats, these sections were noticeably damaged. Their stroke area was
surrounded with an extensive zone of dying nerve cells. The stem
cells increased almost by twice the number of blood vessels in the
injured left hemisphere, which contributed to cerebral blood supply
restoration. It is interesting that more vessels appeared in the
symmetrical unaffected hemisphere. This phenomenon has not been
described in scientific publications, therefore the researchers are
planning to investigate it separately.
Thanks to the stem cells, the rats successfully passed the test in
two or three weeks after transplantation. They became calmer, they
better orientated themselves in space and memorized disposition of
surrounding objects. Besides, the animals restored symmetry of
reactions in the left and the right side of the body and in
utilization of extremities.
In the researchers' opinion, the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is
practically an ideal material for cellular therapy as they can be
introduced directly into the blood. This allows to avoid serious
operations under general anaesthetic, which are necessary for cell
injection directly into the brain.
Although the researchers are now unable to fully explain the MSCs
mechanism of action, but their beneficial action on the brain after a
stroke is evident. Possibly, in case of earlier MSC transplantation,
more cells will be able to get into the brain, and the beneficial
action will be even more apparent.
Adapted from materials provided by Informscience Agency.
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MLA Informscience Agency (2007, November 23). Stem Cell Injection
Protects Against Nerve Cell Death After Stroke, Study Suggest.
ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 6, 2007, from
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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