WSCS 2021 | Umbilical cord blood infusions in children with cerebral palsy

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, describes ongoing research evaluating the potential of umbilical cord blood infusion in pediatric patients with cerebral palsy. A randomized Phase II trial (NCT01147653) indicated that the infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood (UCB) at a dose of 25 million cells per kilogram or higher resulted in improvement in gross motor function. In addition, the open-label Phase II ACCeNT-CP trial (NCT03473301), which compared a single high dose of allogeneic UCB with repeated infusions of cord tissue mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), demonstrated that UCB infusion improved motor function and has prompted the initiation of a Phase III trial. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).