March marks Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, which began with the goal of generating research for preventing, treating, and curing cerebral palsy

CBR is partnering on two FDA-regulated clinical trials focused on cerebral palsy that are currently enrolling children diagnosed with the disorder.

Georgia Regents University

In the first trial we’re highlighting for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, CBR teamed up with researchers at Georgia Regents University to evaluate the use of cord blood stem cell infusions as a possible treatment for children with cerebral palsy. To ensure consistency in cord blood stem cell collection and processing methods, participants in the study are children whose families have banked cord blood specifically with CBR, the only stem cell bank participating in the study.

“Autologous stem cell transplantation, in which the transplant recipient is also the donor, is the safest form of stem cell transplantation because it carries virtually no threat of immune system rejection.”
– Dr. James Carroll, Principal Investigator, Georgia Regents University

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

The second trial we’re reviewing for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is in collaboration with University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of an intravenous infusion of banked cord blood stem cells vs. freshly harvested bone marrow stem cells as a possible therapy for children with cerebral palsy. Half of the participants will receive an autologous stem cell infusion from their own CBR processed and stored cord blood unit, and the other half will undergo a bone marrow harvest and autologous bone marrow stem cell infusion.

“Preclinical data indicates that ongoing neuroinflammatory response is a driver of further injury in cerebral palsy, so the hope (with this trial) is to reduce this neuroinflammation and break the cycle.”
– Dr. Charles Cox, Principal Investigator, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Stay tuned for results on these clinical trials.

Cerebral palsy, caused by a brain injury or lack of oxygen in the brain before birth or during the first few years of life, can impair movement, learning, hearing, vision, and cognitive skills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 1 in every 323 children in the United States has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy. While a variety of physical therapies exist for cerebral palsy, there are no known cures. Cord blood stem cell clinical trials may help pave the way for new potential treatment options to emerge.

Sources:

“Cerebral Palsy Clinical Trials.” Cord Blood Registry. CBR Systems, Inc., 1995-2016. Web. Date of Access: February 10, 2016