Umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy in premature brain injury: Opportunities and challenges

• Preterm birth and associated brain injury are the primary cause of cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities and are among the most serious global health issues that modern society faces. Current therapy for infants suffering from premature brain injury is still mainly supportive, and there are no effective treatments. Thus there is a pressing need for comparative and translational studies on how to reduce brain injury and to increase regeneration and brain repair in preterm infants. There is strong supporting evidence for the use of umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived stem cell therapy for treating preterm brain injury and neurological sequelae. UCB-derived stem cell therapy is effective in many animal models and has been shown to be feasible in clinical trials. Most of these therapies are still experimental, however. In this review, we focus on recent advances on the efficacy of UCB-derived stem cell therapy in preterm infants with brain injury, and discuss the potential mechanisms behind their therapeutic effects as well as application strategies for future preclinical and clinical trials.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

brain injury

cerebral palsy

preterm birth

stem cell

stem cell

transplantation

umbilical cord blood

white matter injury

recombinant-human-erythropoietin

extremely preterm infants

white-matter injury

cerebral-palsy

neurodevelopmental outcomes

intraventricular hemorrhage

transplantation

children

infusion

feasibility

Neurosciences & Neurology

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