The authors intravenously infused mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into a rat model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia and found improvements in functional outcome, increased brain volume, and enhanced synaptogenesis. The results of this animal study suggest that the intravenous administration of MSCs should be further explored as a potential treatment for patients suffering from cerebral palsy after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
Keywords: CP = cerebral palsy; GFP = green fluorescent protein; HI = hypoxia-ischemia; MSC = mesenchymal stem cell; P = postnatal day; PBS = phosphate-buffered saline; SEM = standard error of the mean; cerebral palsy; congenital; hypoxic ischemia; i.p. = intraperitoneal; mesenchymal stem cells.