About this Research Topic
Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of human death and the first major cause of long-term disability worldwide. Stroke represents an enormous socioeconomic burden, thus, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments. Thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) is the only FDA-approved therapy to re-establish cerebral blood flow. However, the non-availability of rtPA, and because of the increased risk of hemorrhage beyond 4.5 h post-stroke, only a few stroke patients (1-2%) get to benefit from it. Apart from rtPA, the current treatment therapies are far from being the ideal solution, emphasizing the urgent need for alternative strategies for replacing damaged tissue.
Recent studies have focused on neurorestorative measures, rather than neuroprotective treatment; thus, stem cell therapy may be the most suitable clinical intervention for stroke recovery. The utility of cell-based approaches for the treatment of ischemic stroke has been explored extensively, and the results have been somewhat promising. A diverse array of stem cells (e.g., embryonic, fetal, adult, and induced pluripotent cells) can be obtained from various sources (e.g., the heart, skin, liver, and hair) for stroke repair. Though all these cells hold great potential for the treatment of stroke, several obstacles must be overcome before their therapeutic application can be realized. These include the cell population to be used, the optimal dose and routes of delivery. Low retention and poor survival rate of engrafted cells is another key issue that has to be addressed for the success of cell therapy in ischemic stroke. Current advances in stem cell biology and engineering, aided by new concepts and discovery approaches in other fields e.g. nanotechnology, may make possible new therapeutic developments in regenerative medicine. Nanoparticles have shown great potentials in addressing the key issue of survival. Therefore, combining nanomaterials and stem cell therapy could be of great interest and significance for brain repair. The current Topic highlights the regenerative research for stroke and related injuries.
This Research Topic welcomes submissions of Original Research (or Brief Research Report), Reviews (or Mini-Review), Methods, Case Reports not just limited to cell therapy but nanoformulations, growth factors, hormonal therapy, and similar therapeutic formulations for stroke recovery.
Recent studies have focused on neurorestorative measures, rather than neuroprotective treatment; thus, stem cell therapy may be the most suitable clinical intervention for stroke recovery. The utility of cell-based approaches for the treatment of ischemic stroke has been explored extensively, and the results have been somewhat promising. A diverse array of stem cells (e.g., embryonic, fetal, adult, and induced pluripotent cells) can be obtained from various sources (e.g., the heart, skin, liver, and hair) for stroke repair. Though all these cells hold great potential for the treatment of stroke, several obstacles must be overcome before their therapeutic application can be realized. These include the cell population to be used, the optimal dose and routes of delivery. Low retention and poor survival rate of engrafted cells is another key issue that has to be addressed for the success of cell therapy in ischemic stroke. Current advances in stem cell biology and engineering, aided by new concepts and discovery approaches in other fields e.g. nanotechnology, may make possible new therapeutic developments in regenerative medicine. Nanoparticles have shown great potentials in addressing the key issue of survival. Therefore, combining nanomaterials and stem cell therapy could be of great interest and significance for brain repair. The current Topic highlights the regenerative research for stroke and related injuries.
This Research Topic welcomes submissions of Original Research (or Brief Research Report), Reviews (or Mini-Review), Methods, Case Reports not just limited to cell therapy but nanoformulations, growth factors, hormonal therapy, and similar therapeutic formulations for stroke recovery.
Keywords: Stroke, Oxygen glucose deprivation, Stem cells, Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, Nanotechnology, Functional and behavioral outcome
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