Stem cell treatment restores damaged brain cells, nerve cells, and muscle cells in cerebral palsy patients. Preventing and limiting disorders improves the patient's quality of life at home and in the community while reducing disease-related issues.

- Stem cells are employed in the therapy of Cerebral Palsy because of their capacity to turn into those cells when they come into contact with damaged brain cells, as well as to cure damaged nerves and muscles. 

- This therapy may reduce the growth of the disease, halt it altogether, or cause it to relapse. 

- The amount of cells to be delivered is decided by the patient's age and weight. The therapy is delivered in three 45-day periods or three consecutive days. 

- The success rate is proportional to the patient's age, disease duration, and condition. In severe situations, more than one therapy may be required.

What exactly is Cerebral Palsy (CP)? 

Cerebral palsy is a physical condition caused by injury to the immature brain during pregnancy, postpartum, or delivery. Despite the fact that the condition impairs muscular mobility, it is not caused by an issue with the muscles or nerves. 

Cerebral palsy is caused by abnormalities in the brain that govern muscular movements. 

It is not an illness that worsens with time. Early intervention in the damaged brain, as well as other rehabilitation methods and therapies throughout life, can result in significant gains.

What are the Cerebral Palsy (CP) Symptoms? 

The majority of children with cerebral palsy are born with the disease, although it may not be recognized for months or years. The disease's symptoms might affect the entire body or just one side. 

This condition should be considered if children between the ages of 0 and 12 months exhibit weakness or differences in motor movements, muscular weakness, joint and postural problems, and have trouble adjusting to social life and cannot execute activities independently. 

Rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking are developmental milestones that infants with CP achieve later than their peers. They may exhibit reflexes that should be absent in a newborn.

The following are the primary symptoms of the disease: 

- Delays in the development of motor skills like as rolling, sitting alone, or crawling 

- Muscle tone changes, such as excessive stiffness or looseness 

- Disabilities in vision, hearing, and speech 

- Seizures, mental incapacity, and blindness are examples of neurological issues. 

- Spasticity refers to muscular hardness and excessive responses. 

- Respiratory problems 

- Bowel and bladder problems 

- Trembling and uncontrollable motions 

- Frequently falling 

- Problems with swallowing 

- Preference for one side of the body, such as always grasping items with the same hand

Cerebral Palsy Causes (CP) 

Some of the risk factors for this condition include: 

• Mother and child blood incompatibility 
• During pregnancy or birth, the infant suffers from a lack of oxygen. 
• The mother is suffering from a viral or bacterial illness that is affecting the infant's neurological system. 
• Using alcohol, drugs, or medicines while pregnant 
• Premature delivery 
• Low birth weight 
• Coagulation problems 
• Hemorrhage in the brain

Cerebral Palsy Treatment (CP) 

The goal of treatment is to prevent or minimize abnormalities while also increasing the patient's quality of life at home and in the community. Children and adults with cerebral palsy require long-term medical care from a medical team. These treatments include both surgical and non-surgical options.

Non-surgical procedures 

• Rehabilitation 
• Position aid is used to assist the youngster with sitting, lying down, or standing. 
• Splints and ortheses are used to prevent deformity, offer support, and protect. 
• Medication administration: Oral or injectable administration to control seizures or lessen muscular stiffness.

Surgical Procedures: 

• Hip dislocation, ankle and foot abnormalities, and muscular contractures are all treated by orthopedic surgery. 
• Neurosurgery: Dorsal rhizotomy with an intrathecal baclofen pump to treat spasticity.

Stem Cells in the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy (CP) 

When stem cells come into contact with injured brain cells, they have the capacity to transform into brain cells. As a result, they are utilized to treat Cerebral Palsy. They also cure injured nerves and muscles in the same way. As a result, they may reduce the growth of the disease, stop it altogether, or cause it to regress. The success rate of the treatment is related to the patient's age, disease duration, and condition. If the illness has advanced significantly, therapy may be required more than once. 

Our Recmed Stem Cell Treatment Center in Istanbul, Turkey, can cure this condition.

Administration Method: 

The amount of cells to be supplied is decided by the patient's age and weight. Mesenchymal stem cells (produced from the patient's own adipose tissue or bone marrow) or fetal stem cells are used in treatment. The therapy of the patient is determined by the patient's condition. It can be done in three 45-day increments or three consecutive days. The therapy regimen is carefully changed based on the patient's condition, and each patient may receive a different procedure.

Questions and Answers 

How Effective Is Stem Cell Therapy for Cerebral Palsy? 

Although treatment success varies depending on the patient's age and the severity of the sickness, the disease's success rate ranges from 43 to 87%. 

Cerebral Palsy is diagnosed in the following ways: 

Physical examination is used to diagnose CP. During the checkup, the doctor learns all about the child's pregnancy and birth history. CP is not often diagnosed until a kid is 6 to 12 months old. This is the time when the kid achieves specific developmental milestones such as walking, hand and head control, and so on.

The condition can be diagnosed using the following diagnostic tests: 

• Neurological exam: This can be used to evaluate reflexes and brain-motor processes. 
• X-Ray: This type of imaging can be used to detect anomalies in interior tissues, bones, and organs. 
• Electroencephalogram (EEG): This is a continuous recording of the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes placed to your scalp. 
• Walking examination: It may be used to examine how the youngster walks. 
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): It may be used to provide detailed pictures of organs and structures inside the body when x-rays are insufficient.
• Computed Tomography Screening (CT): This is a diagnostic imaging technique that employs x-rays and computer technology to generate horizontal and vertical cross-sectional pictures of the body. A CT scan produces comprehensive pictures of every bodily component, including bones, muscles, fat, and organs. 
• Genetic testing: These are diagnostic tests used to assess family transition disorders. 
• Blood testing and metabolic tests can also be utilized to get a diagnosis.

What are the different forms of Cerebral Palsy? 

• Spasticity is caused by injury to the motor cortex; muscles tighten as a result of restricted mobility. It is the most frequent, accounting for 70-80% of all cases. 
• Cerebellum damage causes ataxia. It has an impact on the patient's balance-position. 
• Damage to the basal ganglia causes dyskinetic behavior. It is the least common.

Related academic research papers and articles

1. Carroll, J. E., & Mays, R. W. (2011). Update on stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy. Expert opinion on biological therapy, 11(4), 463-471.
2. Shroff, G., Gupta, A., & Barthakur, J. K. (2014). Therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem cell transplantation in patients with cerebral palsy. Journal of translational medicine, 12(1), 318.
3. Chen, G., Wang, Y., Xu, Z., Fang, F., Xu, R., Wang, Y., … & Liu, H. (2013). Neural stem cell-like cells derived from autologous bone mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of patients with cerebral palsy. Journal of translational medicine, 11(1), 21.
4. Sharma, A., Sane, H., Gokulchandran, N., Kulkarni, P., Gandhi, S., Sundaram, J., … & Badhe, P. (2015). A clinical study of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells for cerebral palsy patients: a new frontier. Stem cells international, 2015.

By RECMED MEDICAL - REGENERATIVE MEDICINE AND STEM CELL DOCTORS