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Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Vascular Dementia
Eun‐Young Kim, Ki-Sung Hong, Dong-Hun Lee, Eun Chae Lee, Hyung-Min Chung, Se‐Pill Park, Man Ryul Lee, Jae Sang Oh. Cells, 2025-04-29
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Vascular dementia (VD), characterized by cognitive decline and behavioral disorders, has seen a rapid increase in prevalence in recent years. However, effective treatments for VD remain unavailable. Due to its regenerative potential, stem cell therapy has garnered attention as a promising approach for VD treatment, yet it has shown limited effects on cognitive and behavioral impairments caused by the disease. To address this limitation, this study aimed to develop a novel treatment using human embryonic stem cell-derived multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MMSCs). The therapeutic efficacy of MMSCs was evaluated using a vascular dementia mouse model induced by bilateral carotid artery stenosis (BCAS). The effects of MMSCs were assessed through behavioral tests and postmortem brain tissue analysis, including mRNA expression analysis and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. MMSCs treatment significantly improved both working memory and long-term memory. Histological analysis revealed enhanced angiogenesis, preservation of blood–brain barrier integrity, and improved hippocampal organization. Furthermore, MMSCs treatment reduced the expression of Rock1/2, indicating suppression of neuroinflammatory and apoptotic pathways. These findings suggest that MMSCs offer a sustainable and effective therapeutic approach for vascular dementia.
Key findings
- MMSCs treatment significantly improved both working memory and long-term memory.
- Histological analysis revealed enhanced angiogenesis, preservation of blood–brain barrier integrity, and improved hippocampal organization.
- These findings suggest that MMSCs offer a sustainable and effective therapeutic approach for vascular dementia.
Why it matters
In a mouse model of vascular dementia, treatment with human embryonic stem cell-derived multipotent mesenchymal stem cells improved working and long-term memory and was linked to enhanced angiogenesis, preserved blood-brain barrier integrity and improved hippocampal organisation. These findings are from an animal model of vascular dementia and do not establish a treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cells) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Cells: journal h-index 234 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Jae Sang Oh: h-index 20 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Konkuk University: institution h-index 383 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40358180) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Kim, E., Hong, K.-S., Lee, D.-H., Lee, E. C., Chung, H.-M., Park, S., et al. (2025). Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Vascular Dementia. Cells. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14090651
Vancouver
Kim E, Hong K.-S, Lee D.-H, Lee EC, Chung H.-M, Park S, et al. Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Vascular Dementia. Cells. 2025. doi:10.3390/cells14090651. PMID: 40358180.
BibTeX
@article{kim2025-40358180,
author = {Kim, Eun‐Young and Hong, Ki-Sung and Lee, Dong-Hun and Lee, Eun Chae and Chung, Hyung-Min and Park, Se‐Pill and Lee, Man Ryul and Oh, Jae Sang},
title = {{Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Vascular Dementia}},
journal = {Cells},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/cells14090651},
pmid = {40358180},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14090651}
}
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