Utilizing pharmacotherapy and mesenchymal stem cell therapy to reduce inflammation following traumatic brain injury

The pathologic process of chronic phase traumatic brain injury is associated with spreading inflammation, cell death, and neural dysfunction. It is thought that sequestration of inflammatory mediators can facilitate recovery and promote an environment that fosters cellular regeneration. Studies have targeted post-traumatic brain injury inflammation with the use of pharmacotherapy and cell therapy. These therapeutic options are aimed at reducing the edematous and neurodegenerative inflammation that have been associated with compromising the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Although studies have yielded positive results from anti-inflammatory pharmacotherapy and cell therapy individually, emerging research has begun to target inflammation using combination therapy. The joint use of anti-inflammatory drugs alongside stem cell transplantation may provide better clinical outcomes for traumatic brain injury patients. Despite the promising results in this field of research, it is important to note that most of the studies mentioned in this review have completed their studies using animal models. Translation of this research into a clinical setting will require additional laboratory experiments and larger preclinical trials.