AUTHOR=Zhang Xi-Le , Zhang Xiao-Guang , Huang Yan-Ran , Zheng Yan-Yan , Ying Peng-Jie , Zhang Xiao-Jie , Lu Xiao , Wang Yi-Jing , Zheng Guo-Qing TITLE=Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Experimental Ischemic Stroke: A Preclinical Systematic Review JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience VOLUME=15 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fncel.2021.628908 DOI=10.3389/fncel.2021.628908 ISSN=1662-5102 ABSTRACT=

Stem cell transplantation offers promise in the treatment of ischemic stroke. Here we utilized systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression to study the biological effect of stem cell treatments in animal models of ischemic stroke. A total of 98 eligible publications were included by searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science from inception to August 1, 2020. There are about 141 comparisons, involving 5,200 animals, that examined the effect of stem cell transplantation on neurological function and infarct volume as primary outcome measures in animal models for stroke. Stem cell-based therapy can improve both neurological function (effect size, −3.37; 95% confidence interval, −3.83 to −2.90) and infarct volume (effect size, −11.37; 95% confidence interval, −12.89 to −9.85) compared with controls. These results suggest that stem cell therapy could improve neurological function deficits and infarct volume, exerting potential neuroprotective effect for experimental ischemic stroke, but further clinical studies are still needed.