Can stem cells treat cerebral palsy now?

No. Research into potential stem cell therapies for cerebral palsy is still at the stage of laboratory studies and some very preliminary clinical trials, so no proven treatment is currently available. Current clinical trials typically involve injection of stem cells from the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood into the brain. Although measurements are taken of any changes in the patients’ control of their movement, the main focus of such early trials is to find out whether this type of treatment is safe. Current trials are listed in the registryclinicaltrials.gov. It is likely that a combination of treatments will be needed for cerebral palsy patients, making use of the benefits of stem cells, physiotherapy and other approaches. Many questions must be answered by further research before stem cell treatments can become a reality, for example:

Which of the various types of stem cells would be the best to use?

How can we obtain the cells we need in large quantities?

What is the best way in which to use these cells and how will they affect the body?

If we plan to inject cells, should they be injected directly into the damaged area of the brain, or into the bloodstream?
When does the treatment need to be given for the best result, i.e. is there a window of time after which the damage becomes permanent?
Is a treatment that stimulates the stem cells already within the brain a better solution?

The safety of any treatment also needs to be established through many stages of research to reduce the risk to patients. For example, a particular safety issue with stem cells is that they are highly capable of dividing and multiplying, meaning they have the potential to form cancerous tumours. Scientists therefore need to know exactly how the stem cells will behave when used as a treatment, and this will take time.