Stem Cells as a Potential Adjunctive Therapy in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Abstract

Background—Despite advances in the management of subarachnoid hemorrhage, a considerable proportion of patients are still left with severe and disabling long-term consequences. Unfortunately, there are
limited therapeutic options to counteract the sequelae following the initial insult. The role of stem cells has
been studied in the treatment of various diseases. The goal of this study was to provide a literature review
regarding the potential advantages of stem-cell therapy to counteract or minimize the sequelae of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Methods—PubMed, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov searches were conducted to incorporate pertinent studies that discussed stem cell use in the management of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Included articles
were subjected to data extraction for the synthesis of the efficacy of stem-cell therapy.
Results—Four preclinical studies with 181 animal model subjects (44 mice, 137 rats) were incorporated
in our review. Endovascular punctures (65%) and blood injections in subarachnoid spaces (17%) were used
to induce hemorrhage models. Stem cells were administered intravenously (3.0 × 106
cells) or intranasally
(1.5 × 106
cells). According to literature, mesenchymal cell therapy significantly (p<0.05) induces stemcell migration to lesion sites, decreases associated neural apoptosis and inflammation, improves ultrastructural integrity of cerebral tissue, and aids in improving sensorimotor function post subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Conclusion—Stem cells, particularly mesenchymal stem cells, have shown promising cellular, morphological, and functional benefits in animal models suffering from induced subarachnoid hemorrhages. However, further studies are warranted to elucidate the full effects of stem-cell therapy for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.