Stroke is a significant contributor to mortality and disability on a global scale, particularly in industrialized nations. There are two kinds of strokes: hemorrhagic and ischemic. Ischemic strokes are more common, accounting for approximately 80% of all strokes. These strokes occur due to lack of blood flow to the brain, making it difficult to treat patients with these conditions. After the initial phase of a stroke, certain treatments and medications, such as thrombolytic agents, are commonly suggested. However, numerous patients continue to experience long-lasting impairments. Therefore, it is essential to create effective treatment methods to decrease neurological impairments. However, in contrast, stroke causes sudden and limited damage that affects multiple types of cells within the brain, such as endothelial and neural cells. This means that the brain may be more suitable for transplantation compared to other neurological conditions which are not as acute or do not involve the same level of cell loss. On the other hand, stem cell therapy offers a potential alternative for disease-modifying treatment.
There is a practical requirement to develop two different populations of stem cells within adult individuals, known as hematopoietic stem cells (hSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs have the ability to transform into cartilage, fat, bone, and muscle. Additionally, they can also transform into cells resembling neurons in both artificial lab conditions and real-life environments. The clinical use of MSCs has numerous beneficial aspects. These include their easy accessibility, the possibility of using a person’s own cells for transplantation, the absence of the need for immune system suppression, the avoidance of ethical concerns related to cells derived from embryos and fetuses, and their lower vulnerability to cancerous transformations and genetic irregularities. Transplanting MSCs via intravenous, intra-arterial, and intra-cerebral routes has demonstrated a positive impact on enhancing function. The host immune system is strongly affected by MSCs, which also secrete various trophic factors like VEGF and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. These characteristics make MSCs excellent candidates for therapeutic treatment in the adult CNS.