Autologous stem cell therapy in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) cuts the amount of therapeutic interventions needed to treat the patient, as well as the amount of time the child spends in neurointensive care, according to research by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.
The study appeared in the most recent issue of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.
Advertisement
TBI patients at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital from 2000 to 2008 were divided into two groups: those who received autologous bone marrow stem cells as part of a pilot study and those who did not. Researchers used the Pediatric Intensity Level of Therapy score to determine the degree of therapeutic intensity that was done to reduce the cranial pressure below the danger zone.
For those who received the stem cells, researchers noted a significant reduction in the score beginning at 24 hours post-treatment through the first week. Patients who did not receive the stem cells spent nearly twice as much time in neurointensive care - 15.6 days compared to 8.2.
![Head Injury]( "Head Injury")
Head injury or traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability among children and young adults that leads to varying degrees of physical and mental stability. Fortunately, it is also one of the preventable brain disorder.
"Everything we do to treat traumatic brain injury is aimed at reducing the pressure in the brain," said Dr.Charles S. Cox, Jr., principal investigator, professor and the George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences at UTHealth and co-director of the Texas Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. "We can measure the pressure and there are medications to reduce the water in the brain but all of those have risks associated with them, such as renal failure and kidney problems. Our study showed that with stem cell therapy, we need to do less intervention for a shorter period of time for the patient."
Source: Eurekalert
Head Injury
Head injury or traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of disability among children and young adults that leads to varying degrees of physical and mental stability. Fortunately, it is also one of the preventable brain disorder.
Advertisement
"Everything we do to treat traumatic brain injury is aimed at reducing the pressure in the brain," said Dr.Charles S. Cox, Jr., principal investigator, professor and the George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences at UTHealth and co-director of the Texas Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. "We can measure the pressure and there are medications to reduce the water in the brain but all of those have risks associated with them, such as renal failure and kidney problems. Our study showed that with stem cell therapy, we need to do less intervention for a shorter period of time for the patient."
Source: Eurekalert
Copenhagen Researchers Find How Stem Cells Generate Insulin-producing Cells in Labs
Stem cells combine specific sets of proteins at precise positions along the DNA. When these particular groups of proteins combine, they get a new identity.
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Genetics & Stem Cells News
Can stem cell therapy cure fistula? Yes, treatment with stem cells has had a success rate when used in perianal fistulas due to Crohn's Disease.
In zebrafish models of SURF1 mitochondrial disease, scientists have discovered drugs to prevent neurological decompensation.
New study advances intravitreal gene therapy platform to develop safe and effective therapies for visual loss in Usher Syndrome, rare disorder.
The study experiments shed light on a rare example of how autism-associated mutation could altered nuclear dynamics.
A genotype-first approach to patient care involves selecting patients with specific genomic variants and then studying their traits and symptoms.