Safety of Autologous Human Umbilical Cord Blood Treatment for Traumatic Brain in Children

Traumatic brain injury is the primary cause of pediatric trauma related morbidity and mortality. Currently there is no reparative therapeutic option available, and all interventions are designed to prevent injury progression or secondary brain injury. Pre-clinical data suggest that progenitor cellular infusions may reduce the severity of injury by a number of proposed mechanisms. The current study proposes a Phase 1 Safety Trial using stored autologous UCB to treat patients that sustain a severe or moderate TBI, and have not fully recovered as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Score-Expanded/Child at 6 to 18 months post-injury. We have chosen to use one bank that uses standardized processing and storage protocol to reduce cell product variability.

Families who have banked hUCB at Cord Blood Registry, Inc. (CBR), will be prospectively notified of the possibility of using their child's stored UCB if they sustain a moderate or severe TBI and have a persistent deficit at 6-18 months. Prior to enrolling in the study, patients will have their medical records, imaging studies reviewed, and a telephone interview will determine potential eligibility and exclusion criteria. If eligible, the patients will travel to Houston to undergo a medical history and physical exam, neuropsychiatric evaluation, DT-MRI imaging of the brain, and baseline laboratory evaluation. The UCB will be shipped to the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy for reanimation and characterization/determination of release criteria of the cell product (contamination-free). The UCB will be infused intravenously and the patient will be monitored as an in-patient in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) located within Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital for 24 hours, after which the patient will be discharged but will return the next day for a final examination. Follow-up visits will occur back at UT-Houston at 180 days, 1 year and 2 years post-infusion - these visits will include medical history and physical exam, neurological and neuropsych evaluations, and DT-MRI imaging of the brain.