Ebrahim NAA, Othman MO, Tahoun NS, Farghaly TA, Soliman SMA. Synergistic mesenchymal and neural stem cell therapy: Advancing neurorestoration in cerebral infarction. World J Stem Cells 2026; 18(2): 114372 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v18.i2.114372]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Noura A A Ebrahim, MD, Department of Oncologic Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, 1st Kasr Alainy Street, Cairo 11796, Al Qāhirah, Egypt. npathologist@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Biology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Stem Cells. Feb 26, 2026; 18(2): 114372 Published online Feb 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v18.i2.114372
Synergistic mesenchymal and neural stem cell therapy: Advancing neurorestoration in cerebral infarction
Noura A A Ebrahim, Moamen O Othman, Neveen S Tahoun, Thoraya A Farghaly, Soliman M A Soliman
Noura A A Ebrahim, Department of Oncologic Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Al Qāhirah, Egypt
Moamen O Othman, Kasr Alainy Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Al Qāhirah, Egypt
Neveen S Tahoun, Department of Oncologic Pathology, Cytopathology Unit, National Cancer Insititute, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Al Qāhirah, Egypt
Thoraya A Farghaly, Department of Chemistry, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah 21955, Saudi Arabia
Thoraya A Farghaly, Soliman M A Soliman, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 11796, Al Qāhirah, Egypt
Author contributions: Ebrahim NAA, Othman MO, Tahoun NS, Farghaly TA, and Soliman SMA participated equally in the manuscript. Ebrahim NAA, Othman MO, Tahoun NS, Farghaly TA, and Soliman SMA contributed to the manuscript editing and revision.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Noura A A Ebrahim, MD, Department of Oncologic Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, 1st Kasr Alainy Street, Cairo 11796, Al Qāhirah, Egypt. npathologist@gmail.com
Received: September 17, 2025 Revised: October 24, 2025 Accepted: December 16, 2025 Published online: February 26, 2026 Processing time: 150 Days and 9.6 Hours
Abstract
Recent clinical and translational studies have increasingly highlighted the promise of combined stem cell strategies for neurorestoration following ischemic stroke. In this correspondence, we reflect on the recent trial by Yang et al, which reported that co-transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and neural stem cells (NSCs) yielded significantly greater functional recovery in patients with acute cerebral infarction, as evidenced by improvements in both Barthel Index and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores. Notably, this dual-cell intervention was accompanied by robust elevation of angiogenic and neurotrophic mediators, particularly vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, suggesting a biologically plausible mechanism for the observed clinical benefit. MSCs contribute through trophic support, immunomodulatory effects, and promotion of vascular regeneration, whereas NSCs primarily facilitate neuronal replacement and reorganization of neural circuits. Together, these mechanisms offer a comprehensive, multitargeted approach to address the multifactorial nature of stroke pathology. Building on this pivotal work, we call for mechanistic studies and multicenter randomized clinical trials to refine cell dosing, timing, and bioengineering strategies, paving the way for the clinical integration of MSC/NSC co-therapy as a next-generation regenerative treatment for stroke.
Core Tip: The combination of mesenchymal stem cells and neural stem cells offers a biologically synergistic strategy for stroke repair. Mesenchymal stem cells release angiogenic and immunomodulatory factors - such as vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor - that promote vascular regeneration and temper inflammation, while neural stem cells directly replace lost neural cells and stimulate neuroplasticity. Recent clinical evidence indicates that co-transplantation not only improves functional outcomes but also elevates vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor levels, suggesting enhanced vascular remodeling and neural circuit repair. This “cell-cocktail” concept may represent a transformative approach to addressing the multifactorial nature of cerebral infarction and advancing precision regenerative medicine.
