Review Article
Stem Cell Therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases: How Do Stem Cells Bypass the Blood-Brain Barrier and Home to the Brain?
Table 1
Benefit and limitation of stem cells as a therapeutical tool in neurodegenerative diseases.
| Benefit | Limitation |
| (i) Possess neuroprotective and immunomodulatory properties which promote tissue repair and regeneration | (i) Underlying mechanism of action remains unclear and will require more detailed investigations | (ii) Capable of migrating across the endothelial cell of BBB | (ii) Must successfully overcome the BBB in order to exert therapeutic effects in the brain | (iii) Capable of homing back to the side of injury to initiates endogenous repair | (iii) Homing potential is influenced by the delivery method | (iv) Absence of cell replacement evidence; trophic effects likely induce transient recovery | (iv) Sufficient numbers of cells reaching the target site are necessary to exert a therapeutical effect | (v) Generally well-accepted with no serious adverse effects such as infection or tumour | (v) Treatment outcome may be affected by various factors including the donor’s age, host tissue, and growth regulators expressed by recipient tissue |
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