The study, by researchers at the University of South Florida Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, appears in today's issue of the journal Cell Transplantation.

The human blood donors were injected with granulocyte stimulating factor (G-CSF) to stimulate the release of stem-like cells from their bone marrow into the bloodstream before a blood sample was collected. These stem-like cells are known as peripheral blood progenitor cells.

"This is the first demonstration that G-CSF stimulated peripheral blood cells promote functional recovery after a stroke," said Alison Willing, PhD, assistant professor of neurosurgery and first author of the study. "We were putting these cells into animals 24 hours after a stroke and seeing significant behavioral improvement. The animals behaved almost normally on our tests, just as they had before the stroke. That's pretty amazing."

G-CSF stimulated peripheral blood cells have become an alternative treatment to bone marrow transplants for patients with blood cancers. They are easier to obtain, lead to faster recovery from chemotherapy and better survival.

Dr. Willing and her colleagues wanted to explore whether G-CSF treated peripheral blood cells might also be a treatment for central nervous system disorders. For the last few years, the USF Center for Aging and Brain Repair has been investigating alternatives to human embryonic stem cells, such as adult bone marrow stem cells and human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) cells, as treatments for stroke, spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders.

"Our findings suggest that mobilized peripheral blood cells might be a good candidate for early treatment of central nervous system disorders like st
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Contact: Marissa Emerson
memerson@hsc.usf.edu
813-974-3300
University of South Florida Health
6-Jul-2003