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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
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Published on: January 27, 2022
Recent progress in cell therapy for basal ganglia disorders with emphasis on menstrual blood transplantation in
Maria Carolina Oliveira Rodrigues1, Julio Voltarelli, Paul R Sanberg
1Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL, USA.
Insights
Menstrual blood stem cells offer a promising, accessible treatment for basal ganglia disorders like stroke and Parkinson's disease by modulating inflammation and preserving neural function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Biology
Background:
- Cerebrovascular diseases, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease significantly impact health, with limited therapeutic options.
- Current stroke treatment (tPA) has a narrow window and risks complications, excluding many patients.
- Inflammation in the central nervous system plays a complex role in neurodegenerative and acute brain injury disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of stem cells as restorative treatments for basal ganglia disorders.
- To specifically investigate menstrual blood stem cells for neurodegenerative and stroke conditions.
- To highlight the unique properties of menstrual blood stem cells for therapeutic applications.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on stem cell therapy for basal ganglia disorders.
- Focus on the characteristics of menstrual blood stem cells, including availability and pluripotency.
- Analysis of experimental and clinical applications of these stem cells in relevant diseases.
Main Results:
- Stem cells show potential to modulate inflammation and reduce cell death in neural tissues.
- Menstrual blood stem cells possess advantageous properties like availability, proliferation, pluripotency, and angiogenic capacity.
- These cells offer a promising avenue for preserving neural function in basal ganglia disorders.
Conclusions:
- Stem cell therapy, particularly using menstrual blood stem cells, presents a viable strategy for treating debilitating basal ganglia disorders.
- The unique attributes of menstrual blood stem cells warrant further investigation for clinical translation.
- Restorative treatments targeting inflammation and cell survival are crucial for improving outcomes in these neurological conditions.
Abstract:
Cerebrovascular diseases are the third leading cause of death and the primary cause of long-term disability in the United States. The only approved therapy for stroke is tPA, strongly limited by the short therapeutic window and hemorrhagic complications, therefore excluding most patients from its benefits. Parkinson's and Huntington's disease are the other two most studied basal ganglia diseases and, as stroke, have very limited treatment options. Inflammation is a key feature in central nervous system disorders and it plays a dual role, either improving injury in early phases or impairing neural survival at later stages. Stem cells can be opportunely used to modulate inflammation, abrogate cell death and, therefore, preserve neural function. We here discuss the role of stem cells as restorative treatments for basal ganglia disorders, including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and stroke, with special emphasis to the recently investigated menstrual blood stem cells. We highlight the availability, proliferative capacity, pluripotentiality and angiogenic features of these cells and explore their present and future experimental and clinical applications.
