Researchers in the United States have developed a new technique in delivering stem cells precisely into the brain. This ground-breaking technique involves threading a tiny catheter through an artery and inserting the cells directly into the target areas. The stem cell infusion is monitored in real-time via an MRI machine. Details of the procedure were recently published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.
The researchers successfully tested the procedure on animals — finding it to be a very safe and effective way of delivering stem cells to the site of a brain injury. This new procedure may lead to successful stem cell therapies for target conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and other forms of brain damage.
Dr. Piotr Walczak, the associate professor of radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Institute for Cell Engineering says the findings are a crucial step forward, saying: “Although stem cell therapies seem very promising, we’ve seen many clinical trials fail. In our view, what’s needed are tools to precisely target and deliver stem cells to larger areas of the brain.”
Researchers are developing a number of stem cell therapies to regenerate injured or diseased tissue in the brain. However, one of the major hurdles has been correctly targeting stem cells to regenerate specific areas of the brain.
Some diseases and injuries only affect certain sections of the brain and getting stem cells to those areas can be difficult. Previously, scientists would puncture a patient’s head and inject the stem cells directly or inject the stem cells intravenously. Both approaches were flawed — injecting them directly was precise but involved major surgery. Intravenous injections usually resulted in the stem cells being scattered throughout the brain.
This new technique allows scientists to precisely target their treatment without the need for major surgery. The catheter is injected into a large blood vessel and guided to the brain — getting stem cells to the right location without major surgery.
Source: MRI guidance shows promise in delivering stem cell therapies
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