Gene therapy, cell transplantation and stroke

The use of neuroteratocarcinoma cells for transplantation therapy in stroke has emerged as a strategy for cell replacement therapy that has begun its transition from basic science laboratories to a clinical setting. Procurement logistics and novel neuroprotective functions associated with these cells allow neuroteratocarcinoma cells to serve as efficacious alternatives to using fetal cells as donor cell grafts for stroke therapy, although the optimal transplantation regimen must still be determined. In particular, the limitations of current stroke treatments and management reveal an urgent need to examine the efficacy of experimental treatments, such as neural transplantation, in order to develop better treatment therapies. This chapter will discuss the characteristics of NT2N cells, the role of the host brain microenvironment, the need for more rigorous laboratory research and clinical trials for the intracerebral transplantation of NT2N cells in stroke, the mechanisms underlying the grafts' beneficial effects, and the need for immunosuppression. This chapter will highlight some of the most recent findings regarding NT2N cells.