Stem cell stimulation may improve stroke treatment

A recent research on mice has brought out the fact that stem cell stimulation, a procedure which uses stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition, is promising enough for non-invasive stroke treatment.

According to the study published in the journal of JNeurosci, if the treatment gets extended to humans, this technique can greatly improve the patients' quality of life.

Researchers Ling Wei, Shang Ping Yu, and colleagues injected neural stem cells into the brains of mice after a stroke and activated the cells through nasal administration of a protein.

The stem cells were activated through a non-invasive technique called optochemogenetics. It also formed more connections compared to the stem cells that did not receive stimulation.

Additionally, the mice that received both stem cells and stimulation displayed the most recovery, with some behaviors returning to pre-stroke levels.

The combination of stem cell injection and stimulation increased the likelihood of successful stroke recovery in mice.

Instead of just injecting stem cells in the damaged area of the brain, following up with stimulation creates an ideal environment for the cells to develop and form connections with surrounding neurons.