Stem Cell Therapy for Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Abstract

There has been a growing interest in the potential of stem cell transplantation as therapy for pediatric brain injuries. Studies in pre-clinical models of pediatric brain injury such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) have contributed to our understanding of the roles of endogenous stem cells in repair processes and functional recovery following brain injury, and the effects of exogenous stem cell transplantation on recovery from brain injury. Although only a handful of studies have evaluated these effects in models of pediatric TBI, many studies have evaluated stem cell transplantation therapy in models of neonatal HI which has a considerable overlap of injury pathology with pediatric TBI. In this review, we have summarized data on the effects of stem cell treatments on histopathological and functional outcomes in models of pediatric brain injury. Importantly, we have outlined evidence supporting the potential for stem cell transplantation to mitigate pathology of pediatric TBI including neuroinflammation and white matter injury, and challenges that will need to be addressed to incorporate these therapies to improve functional outcomes following pediatric TBI.

Pharmacological Modulation of Neurite Outgrowth in Human Neural Progenitor Cells by Inhibiting Non-muscle Myosin II

“…Using this system, we established the role of NMII in neurite generation, as well as its upstream regulation by the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling pathway. These results may provide new perspectives in the development of stem cells therapies as NMII might be considered as a novel drug target for integrating transplanted cells in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as in traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries (Ford et al, 2020;Lengel et al, 2020;Liu et al, 2020;Parmar et al, 2020;Bagheri-Mohammadi, 2021;Hu et al, 2021).…”

Optimization of the criteria for cord blood unit selection for transplantation in recipients of the different age groups: current view and prospects in Ukraine

“…In the mid-2000s, clinical studies began on the effectiveness of CB use in patients with neurological pathology. Pilot and clinical trials involving pediatric patients with conditions such as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and acquired hearing loss have confirmed the safety and efficacy of cryopreserved autologous and allogeneic CB [17][18][19][20][21][22]. A phase I clinical trial also confirmed the safety and appropriateness of allogeneic unrelated umbilical cord blood in adult patients with ischemic stroke [23].…”

Potential injectable hydrogels as biomaterials for central nervous system injury: A narrative review

“…Preclinical research has demonstrated the potential therapeutic usefulness of stem cell therapy. In preclinical research, neuroprotective and regenerative capabilities of stem cells have been proposed as the mechanism of action 24 . In recent years, research has discovered that a number of stem cells, including MSCs, NSCs, multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs), and EPCs, can heal neurological damage following TBI 25 .…”

“…In preclinical research, neuroprotective and regenerative capabilities of stem cells have been proposed as the mechanism of action. 24 In recent years, research has discovered that a number of stem cells, including MSCs, NSCs, multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs), and EPCs, can heal neurological damage following TBI. 25 STEMTRA, a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02416492) that observed the potential effects of intracranial administration of bone marrow‐derived cells on patients with chronic motor deficit from TBI, discovered that significantly more patients receiving cell treatment showed enhanced motor status at 6 months in comparison to the patients receiving a control sham.…”