Brain Disorders & Therapy

Can a permanent damaged brain be repairable in the phase of chronic stroke

Global Summit on Stroke

August 03-05, 2015 Birmingham, UK

Zhao Li-Ru

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Brain Disord Ther

Abstract:

Although great efforts have been made over the past several decades, stroke still remains the leading cause of persistent
disability worldwide. How to enhance brain repair and improve functional restoration is an important target for stroke
research. Stroke has three phases: The acute, sub-acute, and chronic phase. Unlike the acute and sub-acute phases undergoing
massive neurons loss inside and outside the infarct area in the chronic phase stroke patientsâ?? status becomes relatively
stable and surviving neurons taking over the function of dead neurons appears the major mission of the brain. Facilitating
neurovascular network remodeling and neuron functional reorganization could be the therapeutic strategy for chronic stroke.
We have recently demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of two hematopoietic growth factors, stem cell factor (SCF) and
granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on brain repair and functional restoration in animal models of chronic stroke.
SCF in combination with G-CSF (SCF+G-CSF) shows much greater functional improvement than SCF or G-CSF alone when
administered 3.5 months or 5-7 months after induction of experimental stroke. Using live brain imaging, molecular biology,
cellular biology, immunohistology and motor function assessment, we have revealed that SCF+G-CSF-induced dendritic
branching; axonal regeneration, synaptogenesis, and angiogenesis in the peri-infarct cortex are required for the SCF+G-CSFenhanced
functional outcome in chronic stroke. These findings suggest that the brain under chronic stroke phases is repairable
through a pharmaceutical approach-the hematopoietic growth factor intervention.