Background on Cerebral Palsy (CP):
- CP is a leading cause of childhood motor disability, affecting the individual's development and ability to function.
- Factors contributing to CP include preterm delivery, low birth weight, infections, inflammation, and other pregnancy complications.
- Currently, rehabilitation is the primary treatment option, but the condition's effects are lifelong.
Research Methodology:
- The authors reviewed studies from the past decade using PubMed as their primary database.
- They focused on studies relevant to CP and stem cell therapy, especially the types of stem cells used, their mechanism of action, dosage, routes, adverse effects, efficacy, and safety.
- Out of 38 studies reviewed, some discussed the use of human umbilical cord blood, autologous bone marrow stem cells, allogeneic umbilical cord blood, and neural stem-like cells derived from bone marrow.
Findings:
- Stem cell therapy's primary mechanism of action is immune modulation.
- Autologous umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells appear to be the safest and most effective treatment compared to other stem cell treatments.
- Stem cell therapy has shown significant improvement in motor symptoms of CP patients. However, it did not show marked improvement in other symptoms like speech defects, sensory or cognitive defects, or visual impairment.
Discussion:
- CP's incidence is increasing due to the higher survival rates of preterm infants. Prematurity is a significant cause of CP.
- The primary cause of CP is prematurity and hypoxia-ischemia during the perinatal period, leading to brain damage.
- Despite many known risk factors, 80% of CP cases have no specific cause and are considered idiopathic.
- Diagnosis of CP is typically made between 12 and 24 months of age based on clinical findings. Advanced imaging techniques like MRI can help in early diagnosis.
- Current treatments for movement disorders associated with CP include muscle relaxants, botulinum toxin A injections, and physical and occupational therapies. However, a complete cure is still elusive.
- Stem cell therapy has recently gained attention as a potential treatment for CP. The goal is to replace damaged tissue using stem cells known for their regenerative capacity.