Recently, pretreatment of embryonic-derived neural stem cells with BDNF has been shown to increase survival after transplantation in an experimental model of hypoxic–ischemic stroke.55 Therefore, in view of the in vitro findings presented here, BDNF pretreatment of adult spinal cord–derived NSPCs warrants further investigation examining its utility in an in vivo animal model of SCI. Here, BDNF is linked to ischemic stroke.