Stem cells could reverse damage from chemo

March 19, 2015

Charles Limoli, UCI professor of radiation oncology, and colleagues found human neural stem cell therapies may alleviate ‘chemobrain’ after cancer treatments. Steve Zylius / UC Irvine

Human neural stem cell treatments are showing promise for reversing learning and memory deficits after chemotherapy, according to UCI researchers.

In preclinical studies using rodents, they found that stem cells transplanted one week after the completion of a series of chemotherapy sessions restored a range of cognitive functions, as measured one month later using a comprehensive platform of behavioral testing. In contrast, rats not treated with stem cells showed significant learning and memory impairment.

The frequent use of chemotherapy to combat multiple cancers can produce severe cognitive dysfunction, often referred to as “chemobrain,” which can persist and manifest in many ways long after the end of treatments in as many as 75 percent of survivors – a problem of particular concern with pediatric patients.

“Our findings provide the first solid evidence that transplantation of human neural stem cells can be used to reverse chemotherapeutic-induced damage of healthy tissue in the brain,” said Charles Limoli, a UCI professor of radiation oncology.

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