Stroke Fact Sheet

CIRM funds many projects seeking to better understand stroke and to translate those discoveries into new therapies.

Description

In the U.S., almost 800,000 people have a stroke each year and more than 140,000 people die of their stroke. It is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.

Stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a vessel in the brain and cuts off blood flow. Brain cells begin to die within minutes when they are deprived of oxygen and nutrients. A less common kind of stroke involves a burst blood vessel that bleeds into the brain, also killing brain cells. Losing these brain cells can cause permanent problems with movement and cognitive abilities such as memory, attention span even speaking or understanding speech.

A stroke requires immediate treatment. Signs of stroke include sudden onset of numbness of the face, arm or leg, confusion, blurred vision, dizziness or headache. Doctors can intervene by dissolving the clot and restoring blood flow or stopping the bleeding.

After a stroke, intensive physical therapy can help people regain some lost function. However, there is currently no therapy to restore the brain cells that have died as a result of the stroke.

Stem cell scientists are attempting to use different types of stem cells including tissue-specific neural stem cells, embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed iPS cells to replace cells lost during a stroke. They are testing the different cell types in animal models of stroke to see which are best able to restore movement. They also need to learn the best way of delivering those cells into the brain. Around the country, several clinical trials are underway testing different type of cells and different delivery methods. Other researchers are seeing if it’s possible to activate the stem cells in the brain to repair the damage.

CIRM Grants Targeting Stroke

Researcher NameInstitutionGrant TitleGrant TypeAward Amount
Irene Lorenzo LlorentePalo Alto Veterans Institute for ResearchInhibitory interneurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat strokeQuest – Discovery Stage Research Projects$2,140,122
Dr. Thomas Carmichael M.D., Ph.D.University of California, Los AngelesHuman-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived glial enriched progenitors to treat white matter stroke and vascular dementia.Quest – Discovery Stage Research Projects$250,000
Dr. Thomas Carmichael M.D., Ph.D.University of California, Los AngelesiPS Glial Therapy for White Matter Stroke and Vascular DementiaQuest – Discovery Stage Research Projects$2,086,130
Dr. Thomas Carmichael M.D., Ph.D.University of California, Los AngelesiPS-Interneuron Transplantation for Neural Repair after StrokeInception – Discovery Stage Research Projects$229,396
Irene Lorenzo LlorentePalo Alto Veterans Institute for ResearchClinical Translation of Allogenic Regenerative Cell Therapy for White Matter Stroke and Vascular DementiaTherapeutic Translational Research Projects$5,149,913
Dr. Irene L. LlorenteUniversity of California, Los AngelesClinical Translation of Allogenic Regenerative Cell Therapy for White Matter Stroke and Vascular DementiaTherapeutic Translational Research Projects$707,754
Dr. Gary SteinbergStanford UniversitySafety and Tolerability Study of Neural Stem Cells (NR1) in Subjects with Chronic Ischemic Subcortical StrokeClinical Trial Stage Projects$11,998,988
Dr. Bijan NejadnikSanBio, Inc.A Double-Blind, Controlled Ph 2b Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Modified Stem Cells in Patients with Chronic Motor Deficit from Ischemic StrokeClinical Trial Stage Projects$18,970,000
Dr. Gary SteinbergStanford UniversityIntraparenchymal NR1 Stem Cell Therapy for Chronic Subcortical Ischemic StrokeLate Stage Preclinical Projects$5,300,000
Dr. Gary SteinbergStanford UniversityParacrine and synaptic mechanisms underlying neural stem cell-mediated stroke recoveryBasic Biology V$1,178,370
Dr. Stuart A LiptonThe Scintillon InstituteProgramming Human ESC-derived Neural Stem Cells with MEF2C for Transplantation in StrokeEarly Translational IV$1,103,185
Dr. Stuart A LiptonSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteProgramming Human ESC-derived Neural Stem Cells with MEF2C for Transplantation in StrokeEarly Translational IV$1,020,815
Dr. Brian K. RuttStanford UniversityDevelopment of Single Cell MRI Technology using Genetically-Encoded Iron-Based ReportersTools and Technologies II$1,833,348
Dr. Thomas Carmichael M.D., Ph.D.University of California, Los AngelesDevelopment of a Hydrogel Matrix for Stem Cell Growth and Neural Repair after StrokeTools and Technologies II$1,825,613
Dr. Yadong HuangGladstone Institutes, J. DavidDefining the Isoform-Specific Effects of Apolipoprotein E on the Development of iPS Cells into Functional Neurons in Vitro and in VivoNew Faculty II$2,757,303
Dr. Stuart A LiptonSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteMEF2C-Directed Neurogenesis From Human Embryonic Stem CellsComprehensive Grant$2,832,000
Dr. Samuel PleasureUniversity of California, San FranciscoHuman stem cell derived oligodendrocytes for treatment of stroke and MSComprehensive Grant$2,459,235
Dr. Guoping Fan Dr.University of California, Los AngelesEpigenetic gene regulation during the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells: Impact on neural repairComprehensive Grant$2,412,995
Professor Ziwei HuangSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteNew Chemokine-Derived Therapeutics Targeting Stem Cell MigrationSEED Grant$708,000
Dr. Gary SteinbergStanford UniversityEmbryonic-Derived Neural Stem Cells for Treatment of Motor Sequelae following Sub-cortical StrokeDisease Team Research I$17,244,851
Total:
$82,208,017.07

CIRM Stroke Videos

Facebook Live: Stem Cells and Stroke

Jonathan Lam, UCLA – CIRM Stem Cell #SciencePitch

Pouria Moshayedi, UCLA – CIRM Stem Cell #SciencePitch

Lina Nih, UCLA – CIRM Stem Cell #SciencePitch

Spotlight on Disease Team Awards: Sub-Cortical Stroke – Introduction

Spotlight on Disease Team Awards: Sub-Cortical Stroke – Steinberg

Spotlight on Disease Team Awards: Sub-Cortical Stroke – Cooper

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