Abstract
Background aims
The term “cerebral palsy” (CP) encompasses many syndromes that emerge from brain damage
at early stages of ontogenesis and manifest as the inability to retain a normal body
position or perform controlled movements. Existing methods of CP treatment, including
various rehabilitation strategies and surgical and pharmacological interventions,
are mostly palliative, and there is no specific therapy focused on restoring injured
brain function.
Methods
During a post-registration clinical investigation, the safety and efficacy of intravenous
infusion of allogeneic human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-unmatched umbilical cord blood
(UCB) cells were studied in 80 pediatric patients with cerebral palsy and associated
neurological complications. Patients received up to 6 intravenous infusions of AB0/Rh-identical,
red blood cell–depleted UCB cells at an average dose of 250 × 106 viable cells per infusion.
Results
Patients were followed for 3–36 months, and multiple cell infusions did not cause
any adverse effects. In contrast, in most patients who received four or more UCB cell
infusions, positive dynamics related to significant improvements in neurological status
and/or cognitive functions were observed.
Conclusions
The results confirm that multiple intravenous infusions of allogeneic AB0/Rh-identical
UCB cells may be a safe and effective procedure and could be included in treatment
and rehabilitation programs for juvenile patients with cerebral palsy.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 17, 2015
Accepted:
February 9,
2015
Received:
December 8,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
