Abstract: Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide after heart disease. Researchers predict that stroke deaths and permanent disabilities will increase worldwide by the year 2050. Single-target therapies may be insufficient, because ischemic cerebral injury involves several mechanisms. Cell-mediated therapies are ideal, because they target multiple cell types to enhance protection and recovery. Sources for cell therapy include bone marrow-derived mesenchymal and embryonic stem cells. Although clinical trials on the administration of autologous mesenchymal stem cells have shown improved functional outcomes after ischemic stroke, the number of these cells is limited. Therefore, it requires time to obtain sufficient functionally mature cells for treatment. Simple and abundant cell sources, such as peripheral blood cells, are suitable for clinical applications.