Stem cells and motor recovery after stroke

In stroke patients with severe persistent neurological deficits, alternative therapeutic modalities are limited. Stem cell therapy might be an opportunity when the safety profile of this approach will be achieved. This review will give possible mechanisms of restoration of function in animals and a statement of clinical trials in humans. The sources of neural stem cells for therapeutic use will be detailed. Potentials mechanisms of transplanted cell-mediated recovery are described with a particular emphasis on ipsilesional post-stroke plasticity. The optimal conditions for cell transplant therapy after stroke are evoked but not yet clearly defined. Finally, since multimodality imaging will be crucial in the post-transplantation patient assessment, the final part describes recent advances in the in vivo monitoring of repair progress.