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Brain-injured boy to participate in clinical trial

A story in the Macomb Daily out of Michigan concerns a local boy who is participating in a U.S. Food and Drug Administration clinical trial on the use of umbilical cord blood-stem cells for lessening the effects of cerebral palsy.

The report says 11-year-old Andrew Kijek’s parents are hopeful that the research could eventually lead to treatments that may improve their son’s quality of life.

Andrew was deprived of oxygen during what the story describes as a “traumatic birth.” As a result, he suffered brain injury.

When he was 1, doctors diagnosed him with cerebral palsy. Now he gets around with a wheelchair, and cannot walk, talk or feed himself. He also suffers from body aches and muscle spasms.

Andrew will be among 40 children ages 1 to 12 years scheduled for the study, in which half of the youngsters will receive an infusion of their own cord blood while the rest receive a placebo. After testing, even the children in the placebo group will get an infusion of their own cord blood.

According to the story, a growing body of research in animals has shown that infused stem cells help promote repair and healing in damaged brains.

The report quotes Dr. James Carroll, principal investigator on the study, as saying: “The hope for stem cells, really from the beginning, is that they might serve as some type of replacement for cells in the nervous system that have been destroyed or never developed properly.”

If you or a loved one have suffered a traumatic brain injury, check with Lopez McHugh for a free consultation to see what your legal options are.

See the story here:

https://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130201/NEWS01/130209975/new-study-gives-family-hope-#full_story