Biomaterials-driven stem cell therapy for tissue repair and functional rehabilitation after ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is a serious cerebrovascular disease with limited effective treatments. While stem cell therapy shows promise, ensuring cell survival and integration into neural networks remains a challenge. Recent research shows tissue engineering can greatly fix these flaws. Notably, we focus on the structure-activity relationship of biomaterials. How cell behavior can be most beneficially regulated by changes in the physical structure of the cell carrier itself is certainly a new perspective for cost saving and effectiveness increasing compared to the delivery of expensive biotrophic factors. However, there is a lack of research on biomaterials applied to ischemic stroke, especially in combination with stem cells. No biomaterial has even been approved for clinical trials in stroke. We provide a systematic summary of biomaterials-driven stem cell therapy for ischemic stroke in terms of pathomechanisms, applications, and clinical translational challenges; we attempt to build a bridge from laboratory research to clinical translation in stroke treatment.