Publications

Meta-Analysis of Cord Blood for Cerebral Palsy:

Large meta-analysis shows that cord blood treatment along with rehabilitation leads to significant improvement in motor function over rehabilitation alone.

See article here.

Key findings and updates

  • Statistically significant improvement:  A large meta-analysis of over 400 children in 11 studies found that cord blood treatment led to significant improvements in gross motor skills compared to rehabilitation alone. 

  • Dose-response relationship: The study revealed a trend where higher cell doses resulted in bigger improvements in motor skills. 

  • Peak improvement: The most significant improvements in motor scores were observed between 6 and 12 months after the therapy. 

  • Benefit in younger children: The therapy showed increased benefit in younger participants, particularly those under the age of five with milder CP. 

  • Safety: The therapy was found to be safe, with serious adverse events occurring at a similar rate in both the cord blood and control groups. 

  • Mechanism: The exact mechanisms are still being researched, but cord blood contains various stem and progenitor cells that may help with neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. 

  • Future research: Ongoing studies are focused on optimizing the therapy through multiple doses and investigating the use of donor cells for patients whose own cord blood was not banked.