What if recovery from a stroke wasn’t limited to the first few hours? Research from Gladstone Institutes and SanBio reveals that stem cell therapy could offer hope for brain recovery even weeks after the event, challenging everything we thought we knew about stroke treatment.
What makes this approach stand out? While most treatments must be given within hours, this stem cell-based therapy showed significant benefits even when administered a month after a stroke.
“There are currently no treatments that can be given weeks or months after a stroke to prevent long-term symptoms, so this is incredibly exciting,” explains Dr. Jeanne Paz, the study’s lead investigator.
In their study, scientists injected modified human stem cells into the brains of rats affected by stroke. The results were remarkable: the treatment not only reduced hyperexcitability in the damaged brain regions but also helped restore normal brain activity. Even more surprising was that less than 1% of the transplanted cells remained in the brain after a week, yet the positive effects continued.
“It seems these cells are essentially jump-starting the brain’s own repair processes,” said Dr. Barbara Klein, a principal scientist at SanBio. Beyond its impact on brain activity, the therapy also addressed the systemic effects of stroke, normalizing blood chemistry and reducing inflammation.
The specific stem cells used, known as SB623, are already approved in Japan for treating motor paralysis after traumatic brain injuries.
This research opens a new door for stroke survivors, even those in the chronic phase of recovery. It provides a meaningful step forward in regenerative medicine, showing that even long after a stroke, the brain still holds the potential for recovery with the right intervention.
