Cerebral palsy is an umbrella of disorders that affects people in different ways. It targets the patient’s ability to move, maintain his/her balance, posture, muscle control & coordination, muscle tone, etc. They may also have intellectual impairments, epilepsy, and problems related to visual, learning, hearing or speech.
Causes
According to the doctors, there is no single cause that leads to cerebral palsy. Still, the most common cause of the disorder in babies is said to be a stroke that may occur soon after the baby is born. Presence of risk factors which often lead to unforeseen cerebral palsy include:
- Premature birth or low birth weight
- Blood clots formed in the brain
- The inability of the oxygen to reach the brain
- Infection of German measles or other viral diseases in mothers during pregnancy
- Viral or bacterial infection in mother or foetus
- Severe jaundice in babies shortly after birth
Principles of Stem Cell
Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into specialized cells and multiply into new ones. The two types of cell therapies done for treating neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders are:
Autologous Therapy: Cerebral palsy treatment using stem cells extracted from the patient’s own bone marrow, or adipose tissue is called autologous therapy.
Allogeneic Therapy: When a patient is treated with donated stem cells to treat neurological disorders, the treatment is called allogeneic therapy.
Cell Procedure Involvement
At the Neurogen hospital, the patient with cerebral palsy has to undergo several tests and consultation sessions to determine the nature and level of the disorder. The doctors indulge in extensive sessions to inquire about the family history followed by a thorough physical examination. The patient is subjected to detailed blood examination, X-rays, and scans. He or she is then admitted to the hospital and kept under observation. For cerebral palsy treatment, stem cells are extracted from the bone marrow of the patient under local anesthesia. The collected marrow tissue is sent to the hospital’s well equipped GLP & GMP certified laboratory where the stem cells are isolated. A minute quality check is done to confirm their capability.
After the routine check, the patient is wheeled into the operation theatre where the collected stem cells are infused into the spinal area of the patient using an intrathecal injection. When in the body the stem cells travel through the cerebrospinal to reach the brain. They move toward the target areas and anchor into the damaged tissue. The healthy cells multiply and differentiate into the characteristics of the host cells of tissues. During the process, they replace the damaged cells and heal the impaired tissue to help the patient regain his or her brain plasticity.
Today, people after cerebral palsy treatment can regain their lost skills and live to enjoy a stable and independent life.
