After a Phase I clinical trial demonstrated it is safe to use a child’s own cord blood for cerebral palsy, researchers designed a Phase II clinical trial to determine how effective cord blood may be in treating children with cerebral palsy. The Phase II trial results were recently published and the findings are encouraging.
The results show that when kids received an adequate dose of their own cord blood, both brain connectivity and motor function improved — essentially lessening the symptoms of the cerebral palsy.

 

November 27, 2017, 6:00 am

 

It’s no secret that cord blood has a long history in transplant medicine, is used today in the treatment of nearly 80 diseases, and has helped change many lives over the last thirty years.1 Now, thanks to researchers who have been continuously working to explore new uses for cord blood, its application has expanded beyond transplant medicine into an area known as regenerative medicine. But how exactly is cord blood being used in regenerative medicine?

 

In my last blog post, I wrote about a Phase I Cord Blood Clinical Trial for children with autism; the encouraging results were published earlier this year. Now I’m back to share even more results with you, except this time the trial is studying a different condition: cerebral palsy. Let’s take a look at how cord blood is being used in an effort to help kids with cerebral palsy.

 

After a Phase I clinical trial demonstrated it is safe to use a child’s own cord blood for cerebral palsy, researchers designed a Phase II clinical trial to determine how effective cord blood may be in treating children with cerebral palsy. The Phase II trial results were recently published and the findings are encouraging.

 

The results show that when kids received an adequate dose of their own cord blood, both brain connectivity and motor function improved — essentially lessening the symptoms of the cerebral palsy.2 I’m so excited about these findings because they’re an encouraging development for families and a significant milestone in the evolution of cord blood use beyond traditional transplant medicine and into regenerative medicine.

 

 

 

 

 Kevin and Gigi banked their son Patrick’s cord blood because they believed that the potential for advancements in cord blood use was there. What they didn’t know is that one of those advancements would impact their lives so soon.

 

Before Patrick participated in this trial and received an infusion of his own cord blood, he visited doctor after doctor, receiving opinion after opinion on why everyday activities were such a struggle for him. After years with no definitive answer, the Rooneys finally received a diagnosis: cerebral palsy. With the diagnosis came a glimmer of hope, as shortly after learning about their son’s cerebral palsy, the Rooneys received a letter from ViaCord informing them about the Phase II Clinical Trial that was going on at the time.

Watch Patrick’s story below to hear about his experience participating in the Phase II Clinical Trial and see how he’s taking on life today.

 

A little bit about cerebral palsy

 

Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that affects muscle coordination and body movement. Each year 10,000 babies and infants are diagnosed with cerebral palsy. It is most often caused by brain injury or an abnormality in the brain resulting from infection or trauma sustained in the womb or during the early years of life. The types of injuries that most often cause the disorder are usually not foreseeable or preventable. To learn more about cerebral palsy, visit the NIH information page.

 

 

 

 

Kate is a wife and mother of two young kids. When she’s not dedicating herself to increasing the utility of cord blood stem cells, you can find Kate out for a run, enjoying live music, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. She’s quick to make you laugh with one of her many puns and loves life to the fullest: What did the sea say to the sand? Nothing. It just waved.

 

Disclaimer: Banking cord blood does not guarantee that treatment will work and only a doctor can determine when it can be used. Cord tissue stem cells are not approved for use in treatment, but research is ongoing.

 

References:
1. Currently, cord blood has been used in the treatment of nearly 80 diseases. Moise K Jr. Umbilical cord stem cells. Obstet Gynecol. 2005;106(6):1393-1407. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16319269
2. Effect of Autologous Cord Blood Infusion on Motor Function and Brain Connectivity in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Sun, J. M., Song, A. W., Case, L. E., Mikati, M. A., Gustafson, K. E., Simmons, R., Goldstein, R., Petry, J., McLaughlin, C., Waters-Pick, B., Chen, L. W., Wease, S., Blackwell, B., Worley, G., Troy, J. and Kurtzberg, J. (2017), Effect of Autologous Cord Blood Infusion on Motor Function and Brain Connectivity in Young Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. doi:10.1002/sctm.17-0102. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sctm.17-0102/full

 

Source: Original Article