Study makes strides in cerebral palsy treatment

A new study has revealed that the sugar-alcohol compound mannitol could be used to help combat cerebral palsy. The international study, led by the University of South Florida, found that mannitol boosted the effectiveness of human umbilical cord blood cells injected into neonatal rat models of cerebral palsy. Specifically, the mannitol opened up the blood-brain barrier by momentarily decreasing the size of the cells that make up the barrier. Human umbilical cord blood, delivered intravenously, might offer benefits to those suffering from cerebral palsy, a group of neurological disorders developed during birth or early childhood and distinguished by impaired muscle coordination. However, to be effective the blood must get past the blood-brain barrier, a problem which it appears mannitol may solve. "The combination of mannitol and human umbilical cord blood treatment increased central nervous system levels of at least three neurotrophic factors -- glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor," said Dr. Cesar Borlongan, the study's lead author. Borlongan believes that this could be a significant breakthrough in the fight against cerebral palsy. "Our results indicate a pivotal role played by mannitol permeabilization of the blood-brain barrier," he said. According to the March of Dimes, children's cerebral palsy occurs in two to three in every 1,000 kids.