Within a few months, Dr. Freeman, along with neurologist Dr. James Meschia, and stem cell biologist Dr. Abba Zubair, will begin a unique, U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved study to see if stem cells can help hemorrhagic stroke patients heal.
“We used to think nerve cells cannot regrow, but we believe differently now,” says Dr. Zubair. “I think we are in an era of excitement, where stem cells can be used almost like a drug.” The Mayo Clinic team has already had success repairing injured brain tissue with stem cells in rodents, which helped pave the way for this next phase of testing in people.