Practically every stroke forum I go to has persons commenting that stem cells are the only thing that will provide recovery for them. So far the only stem cell trials for the brain are in the safety stage, that is just to test that the stem cells do not cause problems. I see numerous problems that have to be considered and fixed before they can be considered successful.
1. If the cells are injected into the dead area they would need a blood supply and the cerebral spinal fluid would have to be moved out/absorbed.
2. Nothing would directly have the new cells take on the functions that used to exist in the dead area.
3. Injections next to the infarct but within a still working area would probably take on the functions that surround them. Neuroplasticity at work.
I know magical stroke recovery is the holy grail of stroke recovery but I don't think this is the solution. It may be helpful especially for smaller infarcts.
I won't make any comments on these except to say, read and ask your doctor.
World's first stem cell trial for stroke patients
Doctors have injected stem cells into the brain of a British stroke patient in the world's first trial of its kind.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8137163/Worlds-first-stem-cell-trial-for-stroke-patients.html
ReNeuron gives update on stroke clinical trial
http://www.drugs.com/clinical_trials/reneuron-gives-update-stroke-clinical-trial-11261.html
Information on Stem Cell Research from NINDS
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/research/stem_cell/index.htm
Can Stem Cells Block Stroke Damage? Yes, but in a Surprising Way
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-stem-cells-block-stroke-damage
Ischemic stroke treatment with stem cells
Recruiting patients April 2011
http://mynewtherapy.com/ischemic-stroke-treatment-with-stem-cells/
But this does make a powerful placebo, probably the same reason these nostroms worked in the 1800s.
http://oc1dean.blogspot.com/2011/03/nostrums-for-apoplexy-rehab.html
The answer to your question is: Desperation. Nobody wants to exist like this forever, and something that suggests even a slim glimmer of hope will be greatly desired. I spent a long time trying to get into stem cell trials in the US and UK( yes I heard later of Germany and China) as I live in Australia, and innovative stroke treatment there is non-existent. I was refused in 2 US trials because of my location and the opinion was that I would not return to the testing country for follow up (probably right if I got no improvement), and in desperation I asked if I could pay for my participation, but was still refused. Probably 10 years later, I found a US doctor, doing treatment in Peru. His method was not to directly inject the stem cells into the damaged area of the brain (which sounds the most efficacious to me) but into the spinal fluid (which sounded less dangerous, and also more likely to reach the brain than injecting the cells into a vein in the patient's arm as was being done in other treatments. I paid US$25000 (which he told me he was discounting for me as a special favour) and the procedure was performed in Lima. I never got to Machu Picchu, and spent maybe 7-10 days in Lima. I believe it did help the function of my dud arm a little, but I still cannot make a strong handshake movement. I still do believe stem cell therapy is the only thing that offers any hope AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, and I need treatment soon as I am 62 already, no hope of going back to work, not a lot of hope in finding a husband, so whether or not I get a real cure, the future is looking pretty grim.
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