title: Stem cell therapy for neonatal brain injury: perspectives and challenges.
abstract: Cerebral palsy is a major health problem caused by brain damage during pregnancy, delivery, or the immediate postnatal period. Perinatal stroke, intraventricular hemorrhage, and asphyxia are the most common causes of neonatal brain damage. Periventricular white matter damage (periventricular leukomalacia) is the predominant form in premature infants and the most common antecedent of cerebral palsy. Stem cell treatment has proven effective in restoring injured organs and tissues in animal models. The potential of stem cells for self-renewal and differentiation translates into substantial neuroprotection and neuroregeneration in the animal brain, with minimal risks of rejection and side effects. Stem cell treatments described to date have used neural stem cells, embryonic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, umbilical cord stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Most of these treatments are still experimental. In this review, we focus on the efficacy of stem cell therapy in animal models of cerebral palsy, and discuss potential implications for current and future clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR-676, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Titomanlio
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kavelaars
authors.forename: Jeremie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dalous
authors.forename: Shyamala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: El Ghouzzi
authors.forename: Cobi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heijnen
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baud
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gressens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome