Current advances in intravascular administration of stem cells for neurological diseases: a new dose of rejuvenation injected.

Selection of the appropriate administration route is one of the critical steps in a successful therapeutic process. From its beginning, stem cell-based rejuvenation of the central nervous system has been based on intraparenchymal cell transplantation. However, a high invasiveness of the procedure and a focal cell delivery can not be justified for any pathological conditions. This review analyses, compares, and comments on observed differences between the intraparenchymal and intravascular administration route for neurological diseases. A special emphasis has been given to the reported obstacles and specific recommendations have been made. More significant success with intravascular delivery of stem cells for neurological diseases can be achieved with smaller cells, use of dilatators of lung vasculature, blocking of endothelial receptors, less aggressive pretreatment of cells, and permeabilization of the blood-brain barrier. If these requirements are met, intravascular administration represents one of the major options for delivery of stem cells to the aging brain, with obvious advantages over direct intraparenchymal injection.