Stem cell therapy ‘can lead to cognitive gains for brain injury patients’

Scientists in the US have published the results of a new study that sheds further light on the benefits that stem cell therapy can provide for traumatic brain injury patients.

The research was designed to assess the usefulness over time of the stem cell treatment known as multipotent adult progenitor cell therapy, which has been found to reduce inflammation in brain-damaged mice.

After four months, it was found that subjects that had received a stronger dose of the therapy not only continued to have less inflammation, but also made significant gains in cognitive function.

Findings such as these could pave the way for intravenous injections of MAPCs to become a viable treatment for people with traumatic brain injuries in future.

Study leader Dr Charles Cox of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School said: "Based on our data, we saw improved spatial learning, improved motor deficits and fewer active antibodies in the mice that were given the stronger concentration of MAPCs."

Traumatic brain injuries can be caused by all sorts of incidents – including road traffic accidents, assaults and falls – and can lead to a wide range of effects, depending on the injury's type, location and severity.