2018 Volume 30 Issue 1 Pages 59-64
Acute thrombectomy has significantly altered cerebral infarction treatment. In a national survey of cases treated with acute thrombectomy (RESCUE-Japan Project), researchers found that 7,702 (6.06/100,000 people/year) procedures were performed in Japan in 2016, thereby accounting for approximately 6% of cases of whole-brain infarction. Accordingly, expanding the application of acute thrombectomy in Japan is urgently needed. Despite its efficacy, half of cerebral infarction patients are unable to recover functional independence after undergoing acute thrombectomy. For these patients with neurological deficits due to cerebral infarction, injury-induced multipotent stem cells (iSCs) are expected to aid in the recovery or regeneration of neurons. In humans, iSCs are endogenous stem cells that develop from pericytes in response to cerebral infarction. Such cells have characteristics of the neural crest, thereby indicating that they are able to differentiate into neurons. Accordingly, iSCs are believed to have a potential role in repairing and regenerating neuronal systems within living organisms. For this reason, the clinical application of iSCs is expected in the near future.
