Cell therapy for stroke

Research summary

Stroke is a major cause of adult disability that poses an enormous healthcare burden. It has been estimated that in Finland annual stroke-related costs (e.g., special care, rehabilitation) are 1.1 billion euros (7 % of the annual total healthcare costs).

Description

The only effective stroke therapy is thrombolysis when started within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset, but, because of the narrow therapeutic time window, only few patients benefit from it. Despite extensive research, neuroprotective drugs have all failed in clinical trials. Thus, efforts focused on the pursuit of restorative therapies have emerged recently as attractive approaches for the treatment of stroke patients. In particular, cell therapy was shown to be beneficial following stroke in animal models and allow safe and easy transplantation procedures.

Functional outcome after cell therapy is, however, far from optimal, and combination of various rehabilitative approaches is a possibility to maximize treatment effects. The joint project between Finnish and Chinese research groups aims to study whether combination therapies are capable in enhancing functional recovery after experimental stroke. Behavioral tests and histology will be used to assess efficacy and mechanisms of combined therapy.

Research info

Research title
Cell therapy for stroke

Research timeline
1.10.2013 - 1.8.2020

Keywords
cell therapy cerebral ischemia functional recovery

Region
Asia

Countries
China, Finland

Institution
University of Eastern Finland
Institute of Clinical Medicine, Neurology
Kuopio, Finland

Funding instrument
Other

Project budget
0 - 200,000 euros

Head of research
Jukka Jolkkonen

Research team
Jukka Jolkkonen, Shen Li

Partners
Neurology department, Dalian Municipal Central Hospital affiliated to Dalian University, Dalian, China

Contact information
Jukka Jolkkonen
+358-40-3552519
jukka.jolkkonen@uef.fi

Record last updated
26.8.2015