Potential Breakthrough in Stroke Treatment

Most people who suffer a stroke aren’t treated in time to prevent long-term and often permanent effects on speech, cognition and motor function. Dr. Shahid Nimjee, MD, PhD, a neurosurgeon at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center discusses a study providing hope for unprecedented stroke recovery by “retraining” skin cells to become blood vessel cells to help repair damage to brain tissue. Researchers studied the process in mice and found that those treated with this innovative cell therapy regained 90% of their motor function. MRI imaging showed damaged areas of the brain were repaired within a few weeks.  The study is published in the journal “Science Advances”.(March 19, 2021)

Shahid Nimjee, MD, PhD, is a neurosurgeon specializing in open and endovascular neurosurgery at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Dr. Nimjee’s research focuses on exploiting the properties of RNA biology to better diagnose and treat thromboembolic disease as it pertains to cerebrovascular neurosurgery and because of his dual training he can focus on the optimal approach to treat each patient rather than on a specific technique. Dr. Nimjee has received the American Heart Association’s New Investigator Award and Duke University’s RNA Award for Research within the Department of Genetics. In addition, he has been awarded multiple grants by the National Institutes of Health to develop a novel and reversible drug to treat patients who present with acute ischemic stroke.