Stroke is the leading cause of death and incapacity in Brazil. Over the last few years, numerous preclinical and clinical studies have been carried out, however to date, none of the drugs tested in these studies were effective in patients. The emerging field of stem cell research has raised hope of therapy to ameliorate the functional loss after strokes. In this review we will discuss the results of several preclinical studies and clinical trials using different types of stem cells in the treatment of strokes.
Stem cells; cell therapies; cerebral ischemia; neuroprotection; stroke