'Stem cells show promise in stroke recovery'

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http://www.bbc.com/news/health-286946568 V( e! N- }* d( R8 c' i' C
'Stem cells show promise in stroke recovery'
( q6 F  ?4 z4 Y( q2 z! UBy Smitha Mundasad
# l) b! M, Y' l: ^Health reporter, BBC News
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% ^6 B- E% E  x9 c% dResearchers studied the most common types of strokes, caused by blood clots in the brain
+ B6 Q' Y5 z8 ^8 vContinue reading the main story9 j) h# K; m2 x
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Stroke stem-cell trial shows promise% _9 r. {; M6 O' K2 \% l1 D
Infusing stem cells into the brain may help boost recovery after a stroke, according to a pilot study by Imperial College London.$ q' C, [( t& L8 n  M
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Scientists believe the cells encourage new blood vessels to grow in damaged areas of the brain.1 \4 y8 s9 m! I2 Z% t

1 b" A( r2 b! FThey found most patients were able to walk and look after themselves independently by the end of the trial, despite having suffered severe strokes.. H# c! @$ F* R2 I& T; A& E

* T9 A* j( h6 zLarger studies are needed to evaluate whether this could be used more widely.( K, B# D5 w* k8 r  Q' g# j, F+ }! ]
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Continue reading the main story
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Start Quote
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: _1 o- s9 v  L  A! `) E* aNow we need to look at a larger group of patients and hope eventually to develop a treatment based on this approach”, Y, O$ k" ^* b9 q* S% K# Z" r
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Dr Soma Banerjee
6 j' f8 N6 Y3 ~* gImperial College London
8 ~, o, v+ Y( |In this early trial - designed primarily to look at the safety of this approach - researchers harvested stem cells from the bone marrow of five people who had recently had a stroke.0 l2 V$ L9 n- D' E  s- U
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'Independent living'
% K: S9 N  z# H" CThey isolated particular types of stem cells - known as CD34+. These have the ability to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels.4 t0 h8 ~* a2 n7 l: o
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They were infused directly into damaged sections of the brain, via the major artery that supplies this area.
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Scientists monitored the patients for six months, charting their ability to carry out everyday activities independently.% j, j) j) ~/ N! p2 H+ ?1 w
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Four of the five patients had suffered particularly severe strokes - resulting in the loss of speech and marked paralysis down one side of the body.
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This type of stroke usually has a high fatality and disability rate.0 a. `3 J3 D- G* s% H+ u

+ j# A  v( N1 k2 w# Q8 s' yBut researchers found three of the four patients were able to walk and look after themselves independently at the end of the six-month period.4 K5 p) F* Y; ], f% R* x' K

7 ]' a3 k; I7 g- u* @And with some help, all five were mobile and could take part in everyday tasks.
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2 F* Q, H2 l9 m  eThough other stem cell treatment has shown promise as stroke therapy before, this is the first UK study to investigate using this type of approach in the first week after a stroke.
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Scientists hope getting to patients early will improve chances of success.% o# {3 j; }) N; ?/ Q

, b+ h3 x* l% b& \3 d4 d' g& }Dr Soma Banerjee, who led the study, told the BBC: "This is encouraging and exciting early research.7 f* D" p7 H5 e! ]# e( [5 w

" c& _" {% Z. v8 \* ]' t5 o"Now we need to look at a larger group of patients and hope eventually to develop a treatment based on this approach."
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But Dr Tim Chico, from the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the study, said: "It is important to understand this is only the very earliest step towards a possible new treatment for stroke and does not prove the stem cell treatment improved these patients' recovery.! s1 ?0 q- J, s" g# ]

& O' [. \( b# J4 Z, z"A much larger trial will be needed to compare stem cell treatment with no stem cell treatment.
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2 t4 k0 H+ R8 G5 {6 @"Anyone who has seen the suffering a stroke can cause will be encouraged that doctors and scientists are continually exploring new ways to treat this devastating disease."
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The study is published in Stem Cell Translational Medicine.