title: Cell therapy for stroke: emphasis on optimizing safety and efficacy profile of endothelial progenitor cells.
abstract: Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) correspond to a population of cells with novel properties capable of angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, thus they are likely to display unique role in the reconstitution of the blood brain barrier (BBB) after stroke. Laboratory evidence supports safety and efficacy of cell therapy for stroke, with limited clinical trials recently initiated. This lab-to-clinic ascent of cell-based therapeutics has been aided by the establishment of consortium consisting of thought-leaders from academia, industry, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, there remain unanswered questions prior to realization of large-scale application of cell transplantation in patients. This review article discusses translational challenges associated in cell therapy, emphasizing the need for optimizing both safety and efficacy profiles for advancing the clinical applications of EPC transplantation for stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shinozuka
authors.forename: Loren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Glover
authors.forename: Nathan L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Weinbren
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: Cesar V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Borlongan
mesh_terms: D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*