Bone marrow stromal cell transplantation for ischemic stroke -- its multi-functional feature

In this article, the author reviews recent advancements of basic research on bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) transplantation for ischemic stroke. The BMSCs are easily isolated from the patients themselves and transplanted into them without any ethical and immunological problem. Animal experiments have shown that BMSC transplantation significantly enhance the recovery of motor and/or cognitive function in various types of neurological disorders such as ischemic stroke. The transplanted BMSCs aggressively migrate toward the damaged tissue and proliferate in the host brain. The BMSCs significantly improve the neuronal receptor function and local glucose metabolism in the peri-infarct area when transplanted into the infarct brain. Recent studies strongly suggest that the BMSCs contain heterogeneous subpopulations and contribute to functional recovery through multiple mechanisms, including neuroprotection, inflammatory modulation, cell fusion, and neural differentiation. The author describes the importance to establish BMSC transplantation as a therapeutic entity that is scientifically proven.