An expanded access record providing Cord Blood Infusion in Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus and Apraxia of Speech, sponsored by Joanne Kurtzberg, MD. Available at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged Up to 26 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-22.
Sponsored by Joanne Kurtzberg, MD · Expanded access
This protocol is designed to enable access to intravenous infusions of banked umbilical cord blood (CB), that is thawed and not more than minimally manipulated, for children with various brain disorders. Children with cerebral palsy, congenital hydrocephalus, apraxia, stroke, hypoxic brain injury and related conditions will be eligible if they have normal immune function and do not qualify for, have previously participated in, or are unable to participate in an active cell therapy clinical trial at Duke Medicine. For the purpose of this protocol the term children refers to patients less than 26 years of age. Cord blood is administered as a cellular infusion without prior treatment with chemotherapy or immunosuppression. The mechanism of action is through paracrine signaling of cord blood monocytes inducing endogenous cells to repair existing damage.
The primary purpose of this protocol is to enable access to autologous (a person's own) or allogeneic (someone else's) umbilical cord blood infusion for children with various brain disorders. Children with cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, hypoxic brain injury, stroke, apraxia, and other brain injuries may be eligible if they do not qualify for or are unable to participate in another active clinical trial at Duke. For the purpose of this protocol the term children refers to patients less than 26 years of age. Cord blood infusions are still being studied to determine if they are effective in helping to treat certain types of brain injuries.
If being seen at Duke, the participant will be enrolled on the screening protocol, "A Research Database and Screening Protocol for Children with Brain Injuries Potentially Undergoing Cellular Therapy or Other Clinical Trials". Information about the participant's health and eligibility will be obtained under this protocol and may include records such as diagnostic information, genetic testing, videos, pictures of the child, and a cord blood report. The study team will review these records to determine if the child and the cord blood unit are eligible. For all cord blood infusions, the unit must meet certain cell count, sterility, and viability criteria. For sibling and unrelated donor cord blood infusions, the intended recipient and their sibling must be at least a half HLA match, and in the case of an unrelated donor, a 4/6 match.
If eligible, the participant will come to the hospital with a parent or legal guardian for clinical evaluations and infusion of the umbilical cord blood unit. Typically, medical evaluations are done on day one of the visit and the infusion is given on day two. On the day of infusion, CB cells will be thawed and transported to the Pediatric clinic for infusion to the participant under the supervision of the treatment team and/or clinic staff. A peripheral IV will be placed. Some children may require numbing cream and/or intranasal or oral versed prior to IV placement. Prior to the infusion of cells, premedications (Benadryl, Solumedrol) will be administered. The CB will be infused over approximately 5-15 minutes using standard practices. The participant will receive maintenance IV fluids and be observed in the clinic for a minimum of thirty minutes after the infusion. Participants will be discharged from clinic after at least thirty minutes, providing all vital signs are at their baseline and they are awake, taking oral fluids, and asymptomatic with no evidence of toxicity.
If a participant has evidence of illness on the day of planned infusion, including but not limited to fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or respiratory distress, the infusion will be postponed.
In the event that a participant develops signs or symptoms of anaphylaxis including rash, difficulty breathing, cough, wheezing, or vomiting during their CB infusion, the infusion will be terminated or slowed and appropriate medical therapy initiated.
Parents will be required to participate in remote follow-up phone calls and be willing to complete questionnaires for safety follow ups. Safety questionnaires will be sent by email at one and two years after the infusion.
Required Evaluations:
Screening:
Baseline Visit:
Safety Assessments
Multiple CB infusions may be administered from the same or two unique CB donors, but subsequent infusions will depend upon the quality and availability of an autologous or sibling cord blood unit and the need to limit exposure of the participant to new HLA antigens.
Donor source(s):
A participant may receive an infusion from a maximum of two non-self donors in the following combinations:
If a participant receives an infusion from a second non-self donor, the second sibling or unrelated donor must be a full 6/6 HLA match with either the recipient and/or the first non-self donor.
Two unique unrelated donors is NOT permissible except in the setting of a product issue.
1,936 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebral Palsy; 458 are open to participants now.
Browse Cerebral Palsy studies →Joanne Kurtzberg, MD is the lead sponsor of 19 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Of its 8 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 4 (50%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The criteria were revised on the registry on Oct 22, 2026. See what changed
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Under this protocol, participants may be eligible for infusion of autologous, sibling, and/or unrelated donor CB cells (Duke only). Some eligibility criteria vary based on CB source. For all participants, eligibility is dependent on the availability of a qualifying CB unit To be eligible, patients must:
Inclusion Criteria:
Age at Consent:
Diagnosis
Functional Status:
Absolute Lymphocyte Count:
Availability of a qualified autologous or Sibling CB Unit
Exclusion Criteria:
Umbilical Cord Blood Criteria
Participant enrollment is dependent on the availability of a banked unit of autologous or sibling CB that has been stored at a private or public bank, or, if enrolling at Duke, availability of a publicly banked unrelated donor unit. Units must meet the following criteria:
Pre-cryopreservation:
CBU Test sample
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Clinically significant
Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
IV infusion of umbilical cord blood (sibling, autologous, or unrelated donor)
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Expanded access is arranged between your doctor and the company. Ask your care team to contact the provider listed on this record.
Contact the providerGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Joanne Kurtzberg, MD