Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Whether the transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can differentiate towards neural cells is regulated by cellular own genes and also depends on the influence of various signals in the external environment.
OBJECTIVE: To review the biological characteristics of BMSCs, the theoretical evidence of transgenic therapy for treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and the research progress in animal experiments and clinical studies.
METHODS: A computer-based online retrieval was performed by the first author in PubMed database to search the papers describing the biological characteristics of BMSCs, the theoretical evidence of transgenic therapy for treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease, and the research progress in animal experiments and clinical studies published in English or Chinese between January 2006 and December 2011, with the key words of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplant, gene therapy, ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICD). The repetitive studies and Meta analysis papers were excluded, and 25 papers were included in the final analysis. .
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Cell transplantation and gene therapy for improving neurological function in treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease is an increasing research area. BMSCs are good vectors for cell gene engineering. After transgenic culture, BMSCs can be highly induced to differentiate into neural cells, which provide stem cells for treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease by cell transplantation. Great progress has been achieved in BMSCs transplantation combined with gene therapy for treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Nevertheless, its clinical application needs further investigation, in particular the problem of biological safety.