Stem cells for neurovascular repair in CNS trauma

Abstract

Stem cells exert therapeutic effects for central nervous system (CNS) trauma. Accumulating evidence reveals that stem cell-based therapies for CNS trauma can be achieved via transplantation of exogenous stem cells or stimulation of endogenous stem cells from the neurogenic niches of subventricular zone and subgranular zone, or recruited from the bone marrow through peripheral circulation. In this chapter, we review the different sources of stem cells that have been tested in animal models of CNS trauma, highlighting the research progress on stem cell-based therapeutics in stroke and their extension to traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition, we discuss specific mechanisms of action, in particular neurovascular repair by endothelial progenitor cells, as key translational research for advancing the clinical applications of stem cells for CNS trauma.