Cord blood and cerebral palsy clinical trials

By Jason Major

TechNYou

Last week I posted a story about the use of cord blood stem cells to treat cerebral palsy. We had enquiries asking for more information on the research, especially stuff related to Australia.

We did find out that Monash University and a cord blood company have been given ethics approval to run a clinical trial in Australia – details below – but I have yet to find any more details than that.  What I would like to know, but can’t get detail on is what is the science behind how these stem cells may be working in those with cerebral palsy?  I suspect that if the stem cells are actually having a clinical effect then our understanding of how that is being achieved is minimal.

Clinical trial info

Prof Euan Wallace, from Monash University is the lead man on this.

His contact details are below

Prof EW Wallace

Director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Southern Health

Director, The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Monash University, Monash Medical Centre

246 Clayton Road

Clayton, Victoria 3168, AUSTRALIA

Tel 03 9594 5145

Email: euan.wallace@monash.edu

The company working with Monash Uni (Prof Wallace) is Cell Care Australia. We contacted them and they told us that clinical trial using autologous  cord blood cells (The child’s own cells) in cerebral palsy received final ethics approval last week and will start shortly.

I don’t know what shortly means, but Professor Wallace has asked that all enquiries about the trial be directed to him.

Other clinical trials

The Duke University Translational Medicine Institute seems to be at the forefront of research into cord blood stem cells and cerebral palsy, especially Prof Joane Kurtsburg –

Check the embedded links for more info

Or this story