Brain Injury and Potential of Newborn Stem Cell Therapy

PublicAffairs — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:37:00 GMT

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), sports-related concussions, which are a form of brain injury, are an epidemic in the U.S. with as many as three million of these injuries occurring annually. A recent episode of 60-Minutes examined this issue and a study linking concussions to brain disease. The study conducted by the University of North Carolina looked at retired NFL players and found a correlation between the number of concussions and the onset of dementia and depression.

And while concussion is often a more mild form of brain injury, it is estimated that nearly 1.4 million people in the U.S. sustain a more serious form of brain injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually. The leading causes of TBI are falls and traffic accidents and the two age groups at highest risk for TBI are 0 to 4 year olds and 15 to 19 year olds. While most cases of TBI are not severe, estimates are that more than 5.3 million Americans have life-long need for help to perform activities of daily living due to some form of brain injury.

With growing understanding of the risks and prevalence of brain injury, there is also more research into therapies to improve outcomes. Previously, there's been no therapy that can repair damage to brain tissue. But stem cells are one area of research that offers promise for healing nerve and brain cells. Research in animal studies has demonstrated the ability of cord blood stem cells to migrate to injured areas of the brain after trauma.

That's why the CBR Center for Regenerative Medicine has made this area of medicine a priority focus and is helping to facilitate groundbreaking research at a growing number of U.S. medical centers evaluating the use of a child’s own cord blood to improve outcomes after a variety of brain injuries including anoxic brain injury at birth, cerebral palsy, and TBI.

CBR is committed to helping to advance the promise of regenerative medicine around brain injury. Visit the CBR Web site to learn more about research on brain injury and stem cells.

The Stem Cell Source : 60 minutes

Brain Injury and Potential of Newborn Stem Cell Therapy