Stem cells from umbilical cord blood have been the standard therapy in the treatment of over 80 serious diseases for several decades. Recent studies have shown that umbilical cord blood stem cells also support the treatment of children with cerebral palsy and autism.
Cord blood stem cells are used in the treatment of over 80 serious hematological and oncological diseases. Recent clinical studies show that cord blood donated during childbirth can help babies with cerebral palsy and autism.
Cerebral palsy and cord blood stem cells
- Stem cells have been the standard therapy in the treatment of over 80 serious diseases for 29 years. In the light of the latest clinical trials, umbilical cord blood can help children suffering from cerebral palsy and autism spectrum diseases, says Dr. Tomasz Baran from the Polish Stem Cell Bank.
A clinical study published in October 2022 in the journal "Stem Cells Translational Medicine" proves this .¹ It shows that a stem cell transplant from a child's own cord blood can help rebuild connections in the brain and improve brain function. movement in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
A stem cell given to another diseased tissue takes the form of a repair tissue cell. In the case of cerebral palsy, the stem cells will rebuild connections in the brain.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at Duke University in North Carolina (USA), involved 63 children with various types and severe spastic cerebral palsy. The condition was usually caused by brain damage before or after childbirth. In children who received one intravenous dose of stem cells from their own umbilical cord blood, amounting to at least 25 million stem cells per kilogram of body weight, improvement in motor function was noted one year after the administration of the cells. These results were significantly better than those of children who received a lower dose of stem cells or a placebo.
- Study results show that properly administered umbilical cord blood stem cell infusions can help relieve symptoms in children with cerebral palsy, she saidJoanne Kurtzberg, study author, director of The Duke's Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program and the Robertson Clinical and Translational Therapy Program.
- But we still need to learn a lot about this therapy so that it can be optimized and available for more children with cerebral palsy, adds Kurtzberg.
Scientists speculate that umbilical cord blood also contains other therapeutic cells that may influence the formation of new neural connections in children with cerebral palsy.
Autism and cord blood stem cells
The research results so far are spectacular - in the case of autism spectrum disorders in children who have been given stem cells, social skills, especially speech development, are strengthened. - We are witnesses of what until recently seemed to be science fiction - says Dr. Magdalena Chrościńska-Krawczyk, child neurologist. - Meanwhile, the latest scientific research exceeds the vision of medicine by many futurologists. It turns out that in the treatment of such a complex disorder as autism, thanks to the use of umbilical cord blood, a significant improvement in social behavior and speech functions was found, as well as an increase in intelligence on a non-verbal scale. All those who deal with autism, both parents of autistic children and doctors and researchers, have great hope in the development of this revolutionary method of treatment.
This is evidenced by the results of the aforementioned American scientists from Duke University .² During the study, each child received from 1 billion to 2 billion stem cells. After 6 months, and then a year after the administration of the stem cells, the children returned for further testing and observation.
- Some kids who didn't speak much had a big increase in vocabulary and functional speech, says Joanne Kurtzberg. -Many children could participate in the play and communicate in a way that was not possible before - adds the expert.
However, as Kurtzberg points out, the study did not have a comparator group, which is very important in determining if the treatment is actually effective. The researchers are now in the process of such a double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 165 autistic children aged 2 to 8 years old. The trial is supervised by the FDA - American Food and Drug Administration.
In Poland, thanks to the cooperation of the Polish Bank of Stem Cells and the University Children's Hospital in Lublin (USK), 11 children have started an innovative therapy with their own umbilical cord blood. The effects of the therapy raise great hopes: It turns out that the treatment is so complicateddisorders such as autism, thanks to the use of umbilical cord blood, a significant improvement in social behavior and speech functions was found, as well as an increase in intelligence on a non-verbal scale. All people who deal with autism spectrum disorders, both parents of autistic children as well as doctors and researchers, feel great hope in the development of this revolutionary method of treatment - says Dr. Magdalena Chrościńska-Krawczyk, child neurologist from the Tax Office in Lublin.
Source:
1. Umbilical Cord Blood Improves Motor Skills in Some Children With Cerebral Palsy, https://corporate.dukehe alth.org/news-listing/umbilical-cord-blood-improves-motor-skills-some-children-cerebral-palsy
2. Stem cells offer hope for autism, http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/05/he alth/autism-cord-blood-stem-cells-duke-study/index.html
3. Polish Stem Cell Bank (PBKM)