Stem cells reverse stroke damage and restore movement in mice

Stem cell transplants may be able to repair damage caused by stroke, according to researchers at the University of Zurich. In experiments with mice, the treatment helped generate new neurons, restore movement, and trigger several other forms of brain repair, offering a promising step toward regenerative treatments for neurological damage.

Stroke is extremely common, affecting about one in four adults over a lifetime. Roughly half of those who experience one are left with lasting problems such as paralysis or difficulty speaking.

These disabilities can occur because a stroke deprives parts of the brain of oxygen or causes bleeding that destroys brain cells. Once those cells are lost, the damage has traditionally been considered permanent because there are currently no treatments capable of rebuilding the affected brain tissue.