title: [Cell therapy for stroke: from myth to reality].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is the only available therapy for acute ischemic stroke, but its use is limited by a narrow therapeutic window and cannot stimulate endogenous repair and regeneration of damaged brain tissue. Stem cell-based approaches hold much promise as potential novel treatments to restore neurological function after stroke.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In this review, we summarize data from preclinical and clinical studies to investigate the potential application of stem cell therapies for treatment of stroke. Stem cells have been proposed as a potential source of new cells to replace those lost due to central nervous system injury, as well as a source of trophic molecules to minimize damage and promote recovery. Various stem cells from multiple sources can generate neural cells that survive and form synaptic connections after transplantation in the stroke-injured brain. Stem cells also exhibit neurorevitalizing properties that may ameliorate neurological deficits through stimulation of neurogenesis, angiogenesis and inhibition of inflammation.
  Performed in stroke, cell therapy would decrease brain damage and reduce functional deficits. After the damage has been done, it would still improve neurological functions by activating endogenous repair. Nevertheless, many questions raised by experimental studies particularly related to long-term safety and technical details of cell preparation and administration must be resolved before wider clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Service d'anesthésie-réanimation 1, CHU de la Timone, Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, 264, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5, France. lionel.pellegrini@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pellegrini
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bennis
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guillet
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Velly
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bruder
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pisano
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome