Perinatal brain injury is a leading cause of cerebral palsy (CP), often resulting in lifelong disabilities. Because more than 90% of CP patients today survive into adulthood, the economic and social burdens associated with support for the patients and their families are significant, and therefore pathophysiological understanding of the disease and development of effective therapies are urgent public health needs. Perinatal hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is an important cause of brain injury resulting from reduced cerebral blood flow at birth that leads to hypoxia and hypoglycemia in brain cells. Impaired uptake of glutamate by brain neurons results in intracellular calcium accumulation, which ultimately causes irreversible damage. To date, hypothermia therapy has been the only effective treatment for HIE to prevent the development of CP. A recent publication in the United States, however, indicated benefits of autologous umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation combined with hypothermia therapy for HIE, drawing attention to cell therapy for perinatal brain injury. This new book, published by Springer Nature and coauthored by leading physicians in the field, is intended to provide comprehensive and concise information to readers on the most recent advances in cell therapy for perinatal brain injury, from basic stem cell biology to clinical essentials.
