Stem Cells in Stroke Recovery: Accelerating Brain Healing Naturally

A Brain Stroke, otherwise known as cerebrovascular accident (CVA), is a condition where alteration of blood supply to the brain takes place. Among all the deaths that occur worldwide, CVA occupies 2nd position as the main cause. The two categories of CVA are ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Ischemic Stroke (IS) accounts for almost 80% of the cases of CVA. 

The major disadvantage of stroke is that it has a limited window period i.e. the treatment should begin within the timeframe otherwise it can lead to complications. 

The development of clot in ischemic stroke (IS) disrupts blood supply to the brain whereas in hemorrhagic stroke, bleeding occurs in the brain as a result of the rupture of blood vessels. 

In the context of stroke treatment with stem cells, stem cell therapy helps to repair and replace the damaged neurons and restore the lost functions. 

Advanced therapy options 

The landscape of treatment strategies for CVA offers new hope by improving outcomes and providing quality care to the patients. 

1. Thrombolytic therapy: In stroke, thrombolysis is dissolving clots that block the blood vessels either by administering thrombolytic drugs or by mechanical thrombectomy. Mechanical thrombectomy is a process by which clinicians physically remove clots.
2. Neuroprotective agents: In order to protect the brain from further damage and complications and to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, clinicians recommend neuroprotective agents. These agents not only provide protection but also provide long term effects.
3. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: The therapy which ensures pure oxygen delivery to the patients is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The main aim of this therapy is to improve brain functions, initiate healing and enhance neuroplasticity.
4. Robotic assisted rehabilitation: The technology assists in physical therapy and improving motor skills. The technology not only provides benefits but also give useful data about the behavioral patterns of the patient and development progress. As these programs are specific to each patient, the data that generates is also specific to the patient. Thus, the advantage is that the inputs obtained from the technologies help tailor the treatment strategy. 

Stem cell therapy for stroke recovery 

When the blood supply is disrupted in stroke, it leads to death of neurons leading to symptoms like weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, along with alteration in movement and speech and memory problem.  

In the treatment of CVA, mesenchymal stem cell therapy has proven to be pivotal. MSCs have the capacity to differentiate into specialized cells i.e. neuronal cells and glial cells.  

Furthermore, after implantation, mesenchymal stem cells decrease the size of infarct; reduce oxidative stress and inflammation and increases neuronal functions. Additionally, MSC also release growth factors and cytokines that lead to angiogenesis and neuroprotection. The overall benefits are improvement of brain function and initiation of recovery. 

How stem cell therapy accelerates brain healing 

The following are the mechanisms that accelerate brain healing and aid in recovery process following a CVA attack. 

Release of neurotrophic factors along with proliferation 

When they reach the site of damage, they differentiate into specialized neurons along with astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Stem cells release neurotrophic factors after proliferation. The factors role is to replace damaged neurons and improves neurological functions.  

The factors are brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).  

Since CVA also damages blood brain barrier, the stem cell therapy pass through the blood barrier and reach the site where neurons are damaged, and stem cell restores the blood brain barrier. 

Angiogenesis 

The stem cell therapy promotes angiogenesis along with functional recovery when implanted in CVA patients. These factors not only generate neurons but also trigger the process of angiogenesis. The stem cells also release certain growth factors like vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor. It also improves blood and oxygen supply to the brain. 

The next mechanism shows how stem cell therapy stimulates neuroinflammation. 

Reduction in inflammation and apoptosis 

Stem cells are also known to reduce apoptosis of neurons by replacing and repairing the damaged neurons and improving functional recovery of neurons. 

Inflammatory response occurs due to activation of microglia and astrocytes and infiltration of neutrophils. Stem cells counteract the inflammatory response and stimulate anti-inflammatory response by increasing the release of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-12 and decreasing the release of interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).

Reconstruction of neuronal circuit 

The stem cells improve axonal plasticity by increasing the number of axons and myelin sheath.  

Additionally, Stem cell increases the synaptic connectivity and also enhances connectivity with surrounding neural tissues which leads to formation of neural circuit. 

The following are the outcomes post stem cell therapy. 

Post stem cell therapy outcomes 

The outcomes seen post stem cell therapy is improvement in neurological function, stamina, functions of hand, enhancement of limb strength, trunk muscle strength and ambulation improvement. 

Role of gut microbiome in stroke 

Gut microbiome is a term which comprises of gut microbiota together with their functional and genetic characteristics. Gut microbiota is microbes present in the gut. The role of gut microbiome is to regulate several functions like maturation of immune system along with neuronal function. When the gut microbes decreases and alteration of immune and neuronal function occurs, it is known as gut dysbiosis. In CVA induced gut dysbiosis, alteration of gut-brain axis occurs, and it alters the permeability of intestine, damages the blood brain barrier and causes neuroinflammation.  

In CVA, Gut dysbiosis activates microglia and stimulates T and B lymphocytes and increases levels of Th17- and IL17. Therefore, the net effect is enhancement of neuroinflammation and occurrence of neurological deficits. 

Electrical stimulation of stem cells 

Researchers from Stanford medicine developed a tool which solves 2 problems encountered. The first one, to identify the best way to deliver stem cells and how to incorporate electrical stimulation. They developed a conductive polymer device which delivers stem cells and electrically stimulates stem cells to repair damaged tissue of brain. Experiment with this device in rodents revealed that it helps in quicker and faster recovery of stroke. Hence, electrical stimulation quickens the recovery process. 

Stroke Treatment Success Stories

Novel research insight 

A study presented at 2024 Stroke International Conference, revealed that when intravenous injection containing ginkgo biloba as an active ingredient is given to patients suffering from ischemic stroke, the results suggest improvement in cognitive function. There was 20% improvement in cognitive function in patients receiving ginkgo biloba injections in comparison to placebo group. The researchers also put emphasis on mechanisms through which ginkgo biloba provides neuroprotection. The mechanisms are  

• Increasing ability of brain to counter ischemia,  
• Brain blood vessels broadening and 
• Improving cerebral blood flow. 

The last sections summarize the role of stem cell therapy in CVA. 

Ending points or conclusive statement 

Stem cells play a crucial role in CVA treatment with the advancements in regenerative medicine. The stem cells regenerate the damaged cells improving neurological function and ensuring brain healing after stroke attack.  

Moreover, stem cell therapy is effective if clinicians respond immediately after the stroke attack. Therefore, if you are looking for result-driven solutions for CVA, explore stem cells for treatment. 

The above section highlights the concluding remarks of the blog. 

FAQs: 

Q: What impact does stroke has on the person?

Stroke disrupts blood supply due to formation of clots which leads to death of neurons. Additionally, it also causes weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, alteration in movement, along with speech and memory problem. 

Q: How does stem cell therapy reduce inflammation?

Inflammatory response occurs due to activation of microglia and astrocytes and infiltration of neutrophils. Stem cells counteract the inflammatory response and stimulate anti-inflammatory response by increasing the release of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-12 and decreasing the release of interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). 

Q: What are the outcomes seen post stem cell therapies in stroke?

The outcomes seen post stem cell therapy are improvement in neurological function, stamina, functions of hand, enhancement of limb strength, trunk muscle strength and ambulation improvement. 

Q: How is ischemic different from hemorrhagic stroke?

Ischemic Stroke (IS) occurs when the clot disrupts blood supply to the brain whereas in hemorrhagic stroke, the blood vessels present in the brain rupture leading to bleeding inside the brain.