Stem Cell Therapy in the Treatment of Neurological Diseases

Abstract

Before a half century, regeneration of neurons has been admitted as an impossible event. Thus, neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis), vascular events (e.g. stroke) and traumatic diseases (e.g. spinal cord injury) have been admitted as incurable diseases. Afterward, tissue reparative and regenerative potential of stem cell researches for these disorders drew attention of the scientist to replacement therapy. Now, there are hundreds of current experimental and clinical regenerative treatment studies. One of the most popular treatment methods is cell transplantation. For this purpose many types of stem cells such as mononuclear stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and olfactory ensheathing cells can be used. As a result, cell transplantation has become a promising therapeutic option for these neurologic disorders. In this article, we reviewed stem cell treatment modalities for neurological disorders in the light of current literature.