Intracranial delivery of stem cells.

The method of delivery of stem cells is a major factor to consider in the design of clinical trials of cell therapy. Different methods of delivery will be associated with different risks to the patient, and may also be associated with different potential for benefit. Current approaches are partly informed by the routes selected for study in animal models of focal ischaemia and CNS transplantation, but there has been little work comparing the efficacy of different routes of administration. Direct intraparenchymal delivery of cells has been employed in several preliminary clinical trials, and data on the safety of this approach are reviewed.