Stroke is a leading cause of death, dementia, and serious long-term disability.
According to the American Heart Association, stroke patients also have a greater risk of depression, which negatively affects functional and cognitive recovery.
In a study from Texas A&M University, scientists found that repairing the gut may save brain function after a stroke
Two-thirds of stroke patients will develop cognitive impairment, while one-third of all stroke patients will go on to develop dementia.
The only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug for treating stroke, which is a type of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, must be given within a specific timeframe after stroke onset and has limited success.
In the study, the team examined the novel idea of whether transplanting intestinal epithelial stem cells (IESCs) from healthy donors could repair the intestinal barrier after stroke and improve stroke outcomes.
They found that IESC transplantation reduced stroke-induced mortality, decreased the volume of dead tissue and gut leakiness, and prevented stroke-induced cognitive impairment.
Although conventional stroke treatment research focuses on the brain, the gut responds early and rapidly to stroke with changes that may precede many of the inflammatory events associated with the stroke-induced disease.
These changes in the gut, such as increased permeability, likely result in the movement of products that are synthesized in the gut into the bloodstream.
Many of these products are toxic and therefore in position to increase inflammation and exacerbate stroke-induced brain injury.
Evidence from a variety of studies demonstrates that IESCs repair the gut and reduce gut permeability. The team says after a stroke, these repair processes may be critical to preserving cognitive function.
IESC transplantation also prevented depressive-like behaviors and cognitive impairment in the weeks following the stroke.
IESC transplantation from older donors did not improve stroke outcomes, indicating that successful transplantation depends on the age of the donor.
The team says a systematic study of aging stem cells would also be important to explain why older patients experience more severe strokes.
Ultimately, this research is expected to advance the development of novel therapies that target and repair the gut to help reduce stroke disability.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about ideal blood sugar levels for preventing strokes, and scientists detect a hidden risk factor for stroke.
For more information about stroke, please see recent studies about the best high blood pressure treatment for people with stroke, and results showing the MIND diet could slow down cognitive decline after stroke.
The study was conducted by Farida Sohrabji et al and published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
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