Stroke is defined as a sudden onset of neurologic deficits arising from cerebrovascular complications. It is the second common cause of death around the world and the major cause of disability. Because brain is an organ with complicated neural networks and neurons are highly differentiated, it has been traditionally considered to possess a limited potential for regeneration. The number of stroke patients is increasing, and stroke represents a serious problem from the viewpoint of the national medical economy. Even with the current sophisticated treatments, more than half of stroke patient survivors remain disabled. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a new treatment for promoting functional recovery and repair of the lost neurological circuit. Multilineage-differentiating stress-enduring (Muse) cells are endogenous non-tumorigenic stem cells with pluripotency. After transplantation, Muse cells recognize the injured site through their specific receptor for damage signal, home preferentially into these tissues and spontaneously differentiate into tissue-compatible cells to replace the lost cells, and repair the tissue, delivering functional and structural regeneration. These properties are desirable for the treatment of strokes and advantageous compared to other stem cell therapies. Here, we describe the current status of stem cell therapies for stroke and future possibilities of Muse cell therapy.
Keywords: Brain; Brain ischemia; Cell therapies; Cerebral infarction; Intracerebral hemorrhage; Muse cells; Regeneration; Stem cells; Stroke.