Clinical Trials Outside the United States: Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. It is the second-highest cause of death worldwide (after ischemic heart disease), with over 5 million deaths per year globally. It has two subtypes, hemorrhagic and ischemic, and the latter makes up the majority of all strokes—almost [Page 294]80 percent of the total. Following stroke, many patients develop long-term disability and there is a realistic need to devise treatment strategies for reducing debilitation. Cell-based therapies have the potential to open up new avenues of treatment in this arena. Targets for stem cell therapy include neuroprotective approaches aimed at protecting at-risk tissue as well as neuro-reparative approaches, which may involve direct replacement of damaged brain tissue. In stroke, the damage process is acute; also, multiple cell ...