UNMC’s stroke center is one of 11 centers that is part of a novel national study that will use adult stem cells to treat stroke patients.
Dr. Pierre Fayad, Director of the UNMC Stroke Center, is the principal investigator for UNMC’s part of the study.
Dr. Fayad says these stem cells have been extracted from normal, healthy donors.
He says the cells are isolated, cultured and multiplied using a specialized method.
Afterward, Dr. Fayad says the cells are packaged, frozen and sent to the various sites that are part of the study.
He says once a potential patient is identified, the cells are mixed with special solution and given to the patient through the vein.
"The purpose is to try to see, first of all how, well tolerated they are and whether they achieve the goal of decreasing the inflammation within the area of the stroke and therefore preventing the area of the stroke to be larger than it should be.”
Dr. Fayad says the treatment will be administered to patients within 36 hours after they have a stroke.
UNMC will enroll between 6-10 patients in the study over an 18 month period.
Dr. Fayad says study participants will be followed for one year.