Therapeutic neovascularization, due to CD34⁺ cell transplantation after stroke, enhances neurogenesis. (A–F) On day 14 after CD34^– cell transplantation, mature cortical neurons were observed up to the edge of the ischemic region displaying neuronal markers, NeuN (A) and MAP-2 (B), whereas only a thin layer of migrating PSA-NCAM⁺ NPCs was observed at the ischemic edge (C). In contrast, after transplantation of CD34⁺ cells, expanded cortical areas displaying a low density of NeuN⁺ (D) and MAP-2⁺ cells (E) were observed beyond the boundary demarcating mature neurons. Migration of NPCs into this expanded area was also observed by PSA-NCAM staining (F). (G–I) On day 14, TUNEL⁺ cells were visualized around the lower part of the expanded cortical area. Whereas massive cell death was observed in animals receiving CD34^– cell transplantation (G), the number of TUNEL⁺ profiles was strongly reduced in mice transplanted with CD34⁺ cells (H). (I) The average number of TUNEL⁺ cells per HPF. Three sections were evaluated in each animal; n = 5 per group. Arrowheads indicate the expanded cortical areas displaying a low density of indicated marker. Scale bars: 100 μm (A) and 50 μm (G). *P < 0.05 for CD34⁺ versus CD34^– cell transplantation.