TAMPA, Fla. Alison Willing searches for hope for stroke patients. Her research uses umbilical cord blood to lessen stroke effects in rats. “Umbilical cord blood is considered by many to be medical waste after birth,” says Dr. Willing. Her research has shown that using cells from cord blood to treat strokes in rats lessens brain damage. The rats are able to function at almost normal levels following treatment. “With the support of the American Heart Association, we have answered critical questions about underlying stroke pathology and how cord blood cells induce recovery.”

 

Unlike current stroke treatments that need to be delivered within three hours of onset, Dr. Willing’s findings show cord blood cells work better when delivered later, up to 48 hours after onset. In addition, she found that cord blood cells decrease inflammation in the brain and the rest of the body that has been caused by stroke and this essentially rescues dying neurons in the brain. This opens up opportunities for new treatments that don’t target the brain. If Dr. Willing’s results can be translated into the clinic either as a cord blood or a novel pharmacologic treatment, it means that the majority of stroke patients could be treated, decreasing mortality and improving quality of life for survivors.