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Spontaneous Brain Repair After TBI

A significant block to spontaneous brain repair following closed head trauma is intra-cerebral bleeding. Free blood in the brain is toxic to new brain cells that could be developed from stem cells. Research published in the online journal Nature on April 24, 2013 shows that glial cells called oligodendrocytes migrate to the damaged area, stop the bleeding, and create scars in the brain. Stem cells can then produce new neurons in a non-toxic environment.

The only problem is that scar tissue creates a restrictive barrier in some parts of the brain. researchers develop treatments that foster brain repair. The lead author of this fascinating study is Chay T. Kuo, M.D., PhD, George W. Brumley Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, Pediatrics and Neurobiology at Duke University. Anyone interested in using stem cell therapy to promote brain repair after TBI will need to take this finding into account.