Newswise — Winner of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) International Travel Scholarship, Asra Al Fauzi, MD, IFAANS, presented his research, Intraventricular Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell in Hemorrhagic Stroke, during the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting.

This research investigates the role of intraventricular transplantation using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell in stroke patients.

This study was one group (eight patients) pre- and post-test design. Subjects were selected from supratentorial hemorrhagic stroke patients after six months of treatment with stable neurological deficits with NIHSS of 5–25. Clinical outcomes were measured using the NIHSS scale six months after transplantation. Bone marrow was aspirated, taken from the same patient under aseptic conditions, and expansion of MSC took three to four weeks. All patients were administered a mean of 20 × 106 cells intraventricularly.

The result showed improvement of the NIHSS score in five patients after treatment, and the rest were in the same condition. No important adverse events derived from transplant or surgery was observed during a six-month follow up.

The study demonstrates that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell can be transplanted intraventricularly with excellent tolerance and without complications. Stem cell transplantation aiming to restore function in stroke is both safe and feasible. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate efficacy.

Author Block: Asra Al Fauzi, MD, IFAANS; Nur Suroto (Surabaya, Indonesia)

Disclosure: The author reported no conflicts of interest.

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About the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting: Attended by neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, neuroscience nurses, clinical specialists, physician assistants, allied health professionals and other medical professionals, the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting is the largest gathering of neurosurgeons in the nation, with an emphasis on the field’s latest research and technological advances. More than 1,200 scientific abstracts were submitted for the 2015 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting; the scientific presentations accepted for the 2016 event will represent cutting-edge examples of the incredible developments taking place within the field of neurosurgery. Additional information about the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting and the meeting program can be found here.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 10,000 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. Fellows of the AANS are board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, A.C. Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the spinal column, spinal cord, brain, nervous system and peripheral nerves.

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