Nerve cell transplant restores brain tissue and improves motor function in mice after stroke

A nerve cell transplant helped restore brain tissue damaged after a stroke and improve motor function in mice. The transplanted cells took root and turned into mature neurons. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

The scientists used neural progenitor cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells. They were transplanted directly into damaged areas of the brain of mice after an experimentally induced stroke.

The cells persisted in the brain for more than five weeks and mostly developed into mature neurons. At the same time, the formation of new blood vessels and neurons was activated in the damaged tissue, the blood-brain barrier was restored and inflammation decreased.

The mice showed improved gait and fine motor skills after treatment. The analysis also showed that the transplanted neurons interacted with the animals' brain cells through several molecular signaling pathways, which could promote the restoration of nervous tissue.

The authors believe that nerve cell transplantation may in the future become a new way to restore the brain after a stroke. However, so far the method has only been tested on animals, so its effectiveness and safety for humans remains to be studied.