Neural stem cell transplantation for cerebral palsy: nerve repair and safety evaluation / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Neural stem cels can repair the damaged brain tissues with potentials of proliferation and differentiation, which become one of the important directions for treating cerebral palsy. OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical effect and safety of neural stem cel transplantation on the treatment of cerebral palsy in children. METHODS:Neural stem cels were isolated from human embryonic brain and identified by immunofluorescence staining, which were transplanted intravenously into 26 children with cerebral palsy. Children's motor functions were evaluated by gross motor function measure scale and Peabody development motor scale-fine motor scale before treatment, and 3 and 6 months after treatment. Routine blood test and liver-kidney function were detected before and after treatment. Clinical adverse reactions in children with cerebral palsy were monitored. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The lost cases were not found during 6 months of folow-up. Specific proteins of neural stem cels were al positive in this study. At 3 and 6 months after transplantation, the A, B, C functional area scores and total score on the gross motor function measure scale were obviously increased (P 0.05). At 3 months after transplantation, the fine motor quotient, grasping subtest and visual-motor integration were not remarkably increased (P > 0.05); these scores, however, were elevated after 6 months with statistical significance (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The results of routine blood test and liver-kidney function in 26 children were in normal range, and there were no serious adverse reactions during the cel transplantation. Therefore, neural stem cel transplantation has high safety and good curative effects to improve the motor function of children with severe cerebral palsy, especialy for gross motors.