Cell-based therapy in ischemic stroke

Abstract

Cell-based therapy for stroke represents a third wave of therapeutics for stroke and one focused on restorative processes with a longer time window of opportunity than neuroprotective therapies. An early time window, within the first week after stroke, is an opportunity for intravenously delivered bone marrow and perinatally derived cells that can home to areas of tissue injury and target brain remodeling. Allogeneic cells will likely be the most scalable and commercially viable product. Later time windows, months after stroke, may be opportunities for intracerebral transplantation of neuronally differentiated cell types. An integrated approach of cell-based therapy with early-phase clinical trials and continued preclinical work with focus on mechanisms of action is needed.

Keywords::

• cell-based therapy
• marrow stromal cell
• mesenchymal stem cell
• Phase I clinical trial
• restorative therapy
• stem cell

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Michael Jensen, MCG Department of Medical Illustration, who created all the figures and the table.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

David C Hess has received grant support from Athersys, Inc., Celgene Cellular Therapeutics and NIH-NINDS RO1 NS055728 and 1UO1 NS 055914. He has given expert testimony (uncompensated) to the US Senate on the use of adult stem cells in treating human disease

Cesar V Borlongan has received grant support from Athersys, Inc., SanBio, Inc. and Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, and from NIH-NINDS UO1 NS 055914 and 2R42 NS055606.

The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this special report manuscript.