Cerebral palsy drug may offer hope for treatment

It may be possible to treat cerebral palsy after birth with a new drug designed to target specific cells in the brain, a new study in animals suggests.

In the study, rabbits with a cerebral palsy-like condition who were treated with the drug soon after birth showed substantial improvements in their ability move around, compared with rabbits not given the drug.

Cerebral palsyis a group of disorders characterized by problems with movement, including difficulties with maintaining balance or posture. It is caused byinjury to the brainsustained either in the womb, shortly after birth, or within the first years of life. It is a lifelong disorder for which there is currently no cure.

The new findings suggest that "there appears to be a window of opportunity for treatment, even after birth," said study researcher Dr. Sujatha Kannan, of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in Detroit.

However, much more work is needed before researchers will know if the findings apply to people. And the researchers still don't know whether the improvements seen in the rabbits in the study will last over the long term.

The study is published in the April 18 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Targeting brain cells

About 1 in 300 children in the United States has cerebral palsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cerebral palsy has a number of causes, and can manifest itself in different ways. One risk factor is bacterial infection within the womb. In response to the infection, cells in the baby's brain called microglia and astrocytes triggerbrain inflammation. An exaggerated inflammatory response can kill brain cells, leading to damage that will ultimately manifest as cerebral palsy. However, the condition is usually not diagnosed until age 2 or 3, around the time the child begins to walk.

The researchers hypothesized that if they could lower the brain's inflammatory response, which can go on for months, they might be able to improve the motor symptoms of the condition.

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Cerebral palsy drug may offer hope for treatment