Strokes happen in two main ways: an artery in the brain becomes blocked (ischemic stroke), or a blood vessel can leak or burst (hemorrhagic stroke). In either case, the brain is deprived of oxygen-carrying blood, and brain cells begin to die. In fact, the average patient loses 1.9 million neurons (nerve cells) for every minute that an ischemic stroke goes untreated. ortunately, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be able to promote the repair and regeneration of neurons, thereby protecting the brain from further damage and enhancing recovery.
These effects have already been quantified in actual stroke patients. One study found that patients treated with stem cells increased by an average of 11.4 points on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, which is a stroke-specific impairment index; furthermore, the effects remained for years after treatment. Not only has stem cell therapy been confirmed to be safe for stroke patients in a range of peer-reviewed studies, but it also holds great potential for neurological rehabilitation.
Neurological disorders include a broad range of conditions that affect the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system. Before the advent of stem cell medicine, the progression of these diseases could not be slowed, and they were treated only symptomatically, using a whole spectrum of drugs. The damage that the neurons had sustained could not be fixed.
Fortunately, stem cells have since demonstrated remarkable healing properties in the body. Studies have now shown that stem cells can repair damaged neurons, reduce symptom-causing inflammation, and even regrow new nerve cells.
