A study conducted at UCLA in early 2021 provides fascinating new medical information. According to the study, a single stem cell therapy injection can improve memory and repair brain damage in mice.
The mice used in the study had conditions that were similar to human dementia and strokes. In humans, dementia is caused by many different factors and conditions. It can lead to problems with the following functions:
- Attention
- Memory
- Communication
- Physical coordination and more
Dementia in humans can occur as the result of strokes that happen in connected areas of the brain. These small strokes are known as “white matter” strokes.
Alzheimer’s disease is also a cause of dementia in some patients.
Evidence that Stem Cell Therapies Can Help
The new UCLA study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Dr. S. Thomas Carmichael is the article’s senior author. Dr. Carmichael also works at UCLA as the interim director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.
This new research presents evidence that stem cell therapies can stop the damage caused by white matter strokes. In the study, researchers used a particular type of glial cell, which is a kind of stem cell. Glial cells support and surround the neurons in the nervous system.
Stem Cells as Regenerative Treatments
Mesenchymal stem cells include growth factors, which encourage the development of new and functional tissue. According to the study, stem cell therapy showed to slow the progression of disease in the mice. The stem cell therapy also encouraged new neural connections to grow. These treatments resulted in the growth of more myelin, as well. This fatty substance protects and coats neural connections.
One program director at the National Institute of Health noted that these treatments deserve further study. Glial cells could potentially encourage the regeneration of white matter in human patients’ brains.
The researchers found that the one-time injection significantly improved the health of the mice in the study. They found that even if they eradicated the glial cells months after the initial transplant, the mice recovered at the same rate.
This implies that stem cell treatments encourage the body’s internal healing processes. While future research will offer additional data, many patients have reported positive results with the use of stem cell therapy.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for TBI, also known as stem cells for traumatic brain injury. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.