Thanks to the injection of stem cells into the brain, stroke patients were once again able to walk and move their arms.
Regenerative medicine has just taken a new step. Injecting adult stem cells into the brains of stroke patients has restored motor function, says clinical test presented this Thursday in the review Stroke.
Every 4 minutes, a French person is struck by a stroke, that is to say more than 130,000 people each year. For the vast majority, the stroke is due to the obstruction of a vessel by a clot that blocks the flow of blood. We talk about ischemic stroke. For the 30,000 survivors, the destruction of millions of neurons can have serious consequences such as difficulty speaking, writing and moving. And despite rapid treatment of stroke or management of the sequelae, many people still have these disabilities.
The discovery of stem cells and the advent of cell therapy in the 2000s then raised the hope of one day being able to replace the neurons destroyed after a stroke. A hope that is being realized today with the work of the Stanford University School of Medicine (United States).
Physically affected patients
The American researchers selected 18 patients with an average age of 61 from 379 possible participants. The volunteers suffered a stroke between 6 months and 3 years before the operation. All presented lesions in the brain regions responsible for motor functions. “Several of them could no longer walk, while others could no longer move their arms,” said Professor Gary Steinberg, professor of neurosurgery and head of the work.
To prepare the stem cell transplant, the team took mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow of 2 donors. These multipotent cells have the ability to give rise to many cell types present in the heart, muscles or bones. The researchers chose these cells because they do not cause a strong immune reaction, which limits the risks of rejection and the use of immunosuppressive treatments.
After modifying them in the laboratory to cause them to differentiate into neuronal stem cells, the researchers injected them directly into the brains of patients. They were lightly anesthetized while keeping them awake.
For neurosurgeons, this technique makes it possible to ensure that the intellectual and physical capacities of the patient are not altered by the operation.
A recovery one year later
During the year following this transplant, the health of the volunteers was monitored through blood tests, clinical evaluations and brain imaging. The patients showed marked improvements from the first month, and continued to progress over the following months, regardless of their age.
“Patients who were in a wheelchair can now walk. It is unprecedented. Six months after a stroke, you do not expect such a recovery, ”enthuses Professor Gary Steinberg, adding that this clinical trial is unique and small.
“This work could revolutionize the way we understand what happens after a stroke, traumatic injuries or neurodegenerative diseases. The notion that the injured brain never heals itself no longer holds, ”adds the neurosurgeon.
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