Neural Stem Cell Transplantation Induces Stroke Recovery by Upregulating Glutamate Transporter GLT-1 in Astrocytes.

Tissue damage and loss of function occurring after stroke can be constrained by fostering plasticity processes of the brain. Over the past years, stem cell transplantation for repair of the CNS has received increasing interest, although underlying mechanism remain elusive. We here show that neural stem/precursor cell transplantation after ischemic stroke is able to foster axonal rewiring and dendritic plasticity and to induce long-term functional recovery. The observed therapeutic effect of neural precursor cells seems to underlie their capacity to upregulate the glial glutamate transporter on astrocytes through the vascular endothelial growth factor inducing favorable changes in the electrical and molecular stroke microenvironment. Cell-based approaches able to influence plasticity seem particularly suited to favor poststroke recovery.