Cell Therapy: A New Technology for Cerebral Circulation Restoration after Ischemia/Reperfusion

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Regenerative Medicine
• Vascular Biology

Background:

• Transient cerebral ischemia can lead to impaired cerebral blood flow and microvascular dysfunction.
• Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are being investigated for their therapeutic potential in neurological recovery.
• A 7-9 day cultivation period is necessary for preparing MSCs for transplantation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of delayed human MSC (hMSC) transplantation in restoring cerebral circulation after transient ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury.
• To assess the impact of hMSC therapy on vasculature density, pial artery reactivity, and cortical perfusion in a rat model.

Main Methods:

• Induction of cerebral I/R in rats by carotid artery clamping and induced hypotension.
• Intravital microscopy to assess pial vasculature density and acetylcholine-induced arterial dilation.
• Laser dopplerography to measure sensorimotor cortex perfusion.
• Administration of hMSCs 7 days post-I/R and evaluation at 14 and 21 days.

Main Results:

• Ischemia/reperfusion significantly reduced vasculature density and arterial reactivity, and decreased cortical perfusion.
• hMSC transplantation on day 7 post-I/R led to complete vasculature density recovery by day 14.
• ACh-mediated arterial dilation recovered in smaller vessels (<40 μm) within 21 days.
• Cortical perfusion showed significant improvement in hMSC-treated rats compared to untreated I/R rats.

Conclusions:

• Delayed hMSC administration after transient cerebral ischemia is a viable therapeutic strategy.
• hMSC therapy promotes significant recovery of cerebral microvasculature and perfusion.
• This approach allows sufficient time for cell preparation and demonstrates a beneficial therapeutic response in the pial microvasculature.