title: Stem cell therapy for acute cerebral injury: what do we know and what will the future bring?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The central nervous system has limited capacity for regeneration after acute and chronic injury. An attractive approach to stimulate neural plasticity in the brain is to transplant stem cells in order to restore function. Here, we discuss potential mechanisms of action, current knowledge and future perspectives of clinical stem cell research for stroke and traumatic brain injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preclinical data using various models suggest stem cell therapy to be a promising therapeutic avenue. Progress has been made in elucidating the mechanism of action of various cell types used, shifting the hypothesis from neural replacement to enhancing endogenous repair processes. Translation of these findings in clinical trials is currently being pursued with emphasis on both safety as well as efficacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical trials are currently recruiting patients in phase I and II trials to gain more insight in the therapeutic potential of stem cells in acute cerebral injury. A close interplay between results of these clinical trials and more extensive basic research is essential for future trial design, choosing the optimal transplantation strategy and selecting the right patients.
authors.affiliation: aLaboratory of Neurobiology, Vesalius Research Center, VIB bExperimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (LIND), University of Leuven cDepartment of Neurology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium dDepartment of Neurosurgery, Stanford Stroke Center, and Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation & Translational Neurosciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lemmens
authors.forename: Gary K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Steinberg
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*