THE USE OF STEM CELLS IN NEUROLOGY
Abstract
Stem cells, due to their ability to differentiate and self-renew, have found applications in various therapeutic processes, including the treatment of neurological diseases. Because the central nervous system has limited regenerative capacity, neurological disorders remain both a clinical and societal challenge. Clinical studies have shown that regenerative therapy using stem cells produces beneficial effects in the treatment of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury. However, safety concerns - including the risk of tumor formation, variable cell survival, heterogeneity of cell preparations, and lack of standardized procedures- continue to be analyzed.
This article presents various sources of stem cells - embryonic stem cells (ESC), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), and adult stem cells such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and neural stem cells (NSC). Therapeutic mechanisms and modern technologies, including biomaterials, tissue engineering, and gene therapy, which enhance the effectiveness of cell-based therapies, are also discussed. Current applications of regenerative therapy in selected neurological disorders are presented, with particular emphasis on mechanisms of action, results from preclinical and clinical studies, and ethical and legal issues. The article highlights the need for further clinical research and for advancements enabling controlled cell differentiation.The use of stem cells may transform the understanding and treatment of neurological diseases; however, fully utilizing their potential requires further multidisciplinary research.
References
Zhang, Q., Chen, Y., & Wu, L. (2021). Neural repair mechanisms and translational challenges in regenerative neurology. Nature Reviews Neurology, 17(8), 510–525.
Liu, S., & Zhao, H. (2022). Stem-cell-based strategies for neuroregeneration: Current progress and future directions. Regenerative Medicine, 17(6), 421–437.
Kim, H., Lee, Y., & Park, J. (2020). Safety considerations in stem cell therapy for neurological disorders. Journal of Neurotherapeutics, 15(4), 245–259.
Thomson, J., et al. (1998). Embryonic stem cell characteristics. Science, 282(5391), 1145–1147.
Takahashi, K., & Yamanaka, S. (2006). Induction of pluripotent stem cells. Cell, 126(4), 663–676.
Rossant, J. (2020). Ethical issues in ESC research. Development, 147(1), Article dev189217.
Shi, Y., et al. (2017). iPSC technology in disease modeling. Cell, 169(7), 1237–1260.
Ilic, D., & Ogilvie, C. (2017). Concerns about iPSC safety. Stem Cell Reports, 8(5), 1109–1117.
Gage, F. (2019). Adult neural stem cells. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 20(12), 671–683.
Uccelli, A., et al. (2019). MSC therapy in MS. Nature Reviews Neurology, 15(3), 133–152.
Volarevic, V., et al. (2018). Therapeutic mechanisms of stem cells. Stem Cell Reviews, 14(5), 643–658.
Kikuchi, T., et al. (2017). iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson’s disease. Nature, 548, 592–596.
Fernández, A., et al. (2021). Neuroprotective mechanisms of stem cell therapy. Trends in Neurosciences, 44(3), 180–195.
Gianvito, M., et al. (2020). MSC immunomodulation in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Neuroimmunology, 347, Article 577–590.
Bai, L., et al. (2019). Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes enhance neuroregeneration. Stem Cell Research, 40, Article 101–112.
Tymianski, M. (2020). Neuroplasticity and recovery. Nature Medicine, 26, 1405–1415.
Chen, J., et al. (2019). Angiogenesis after stroke and therapeutic strategies. Progress in Neurobiology, 187, Article 101–114.
Hess, D., et al. (2017). Stem cell therapy in stroke: Clinical evidence. The Lancet Neurology, 16(7), 535–546.
Glass, J. D., et al. (2016). Neural stem cell therapy for ALS. Neurology, 87(4), 392–400.
Kang, Y., et al. (2020). Stem cells and biomaterials for spinal cord repair. Acta Biomaterialia, 102, 13–25.
Murphy, S., & Atala, A. (2014). 3D bioprinting for medical applications. Nature Biotechnology, 32, 773–785.
Pakulska, M., et al. (2017). Biomaterials for neural regeneration. Nature Reviews Materials, 2, 1–15.
Koffler, J., et al. (2019). Engineering neural scaffolds for regeneration. Science Advances, 5(3), Article eaau2783.
Smith, L., et al. (2021). Genome editing and regenerative medicine. Nature Medicine, 27, 1352–1363.
Xiong, Y., et al. (2020). Exosomes in neurological recovery. Brain Research, 1727, Article 146538.
Trounson, A., & McDonald, C. (2021). Stem cell therapies in clinical trials: Progress and challenges. Cell Stem Cell, 28(4), 515–516.
Uccelli, A., Laroni, A., Brundin, L., Clanet, M., Fernández, O., … & Yamout, B. (2020). Mesenchymal stem cells for multiple sclerosis. The Lancet Neurology, 19(10), 902–912.
Schweitzer, J. S., Song, B., Herrington, T. M., Park, T. Y., Nazor, K. L., … & Tabar, V. (2020). Personalized iPSC-derived dopamine progenitor cells for Parkinson’s disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 1926–1932.
Curtis, E., Martin, J. R., Gabel, B., Sidhu, N., Rzesiewicz, T. K., Mandeville, R., … & Nistor, G. (2018). A clinical perspective on stem cell therapy for spinal cord injury. Cell Stem Cell, 22(6), 740–749.
Lindvall, O., & Kokaia, Z. (2019). Stem cell research in neurological disorders. Nature, 573, 34–42.
Weissleder, R., & Nahrendorf, M. (2021). Advancing imaging of cell therapies. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 5, 110–112.
Petersen, A., Munsie, M., & Tanner, C. (2021). Regenerative medicine and inequality. Social Science & Medicine, 270, Article 113–120.
Views:
35
Downloads:
25
Copyright (c) 2025 Jakub Przerwa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.
