Stem Cell Therapy for Brain Injury in Neonates

Neonatal brain injury encompasses hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), perinatal stroke, and white matter injury. The estimated incidence of HIE in developed countries is 1.5 in 1,000 live births. Hypothermia therapy improves neurodevelopmental outcomes in only 53% of treated HIE patients. Perinatal stroke occurs in 1 per 1,600 births and is a major cause of cerebral palsy and developmental impairments. Periventricular white matter injury affects 50% of premature neonates and accounts for 90% of neurologic deficits in survivors.

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential treatment for neonatal brain injury. This review will present the state of the art for stem cell therapy in neonatal brain injury.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy, Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, Induced pluripotent stem cell, Mesenchymal stem cell, Neonatal brain injury, Neural stem cell, Periventricular leukomalacia, Stem cell therapy, Stroke, Umbilical cord blood, Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.