Research Briefing - 24 May 2012

Mr Bill Bartlett, Chairman of the Research Foundation of Cerebral Palsy Alliance, takes great pleasure in inviting you to join us for our Research Briefing to be held on Thursday 24 May 2012.

This Briefing will feature world renowned expert in newborn brain injury Dr Yvonne Wu, University of California, San Francisco.

Ground-breaking Research

Another exciting development in cerebral palsy prevention research, this time from a Melbourne-based team looking at ways to protect the brains of unborn babies.

In a world-first trial at Monash Medical Centre, led by Professor Euan Wallace, pregnant women whose babies are not developing normally will be given an antioxidant that doctors believe will stop their babies from suffering brain damage in the womb. Over the past five years, scientists at Monash have established that the brain injury is caused by oxidative stress, in which excess chemicals called free radicals damage normal tissues. They have been able to prevent brain injuries to foetal lambs by giving their mothers the antioxidant melatonin, which corrected the oxidative stress.

The Research Foundation of Cerebral Palsy Alliance provided part-funding for the melatonin research project, by supporting the work of research team member Dr Suzanne Miller.

The melatonin research development follows last month’s push by Cerebral Palsy Alliance for magnesium sulphate therapy to be implemented in hospitals around the country to save the lives of, or minimise cerebral palsy risks in, up to 147 Australian babies each year

New Guidelines to Help Prevent Cerebral Palsy

Leading obstetric and neonatal specialists are calling on hospitals to implement new guidelines that have the potential to save the lives of, or minimise cerebral palsy risks in, up to 147 Australian babies each year.

The guidelines recommend the administration of magnesium sulphate to pregnant women immediately prior to a very premature birth (22 - 30 weeks) to help prevent cerebral palsy.

Macquarie Group Foundation Chair of Cerebral Palsy, Cerebral Palsy Alliance, Professor Nadia Badawi, said more work needed to be done to ensure that all expectant Australian mothers have access to magnesium sulphate in case they go into very preterm labour.

'Every year in Australia, over 1500 women give birth to very premature babies, between 22 and 30 weeks' gestation. 15% of these babies are at risk of dying in the first weeks of life or later having cerebral palsy', Professor Badawi said.

'The good news is that by giving mothers magnesium sulphate immediately prior to a very premature birth the chances of the baby surviving, and not having cerebral palsy are increased which could equate to approximately 147 Australian babies being saved, or not having cerebral palsy, each year.'

Research Briefing - 24 November 2011

In recognition of the tremendous social impact that cerebral palsy and other neurobiological disorders of childhood (NDCs) have in our society, Professor Trounson's presentation focuses on how stem cell research has the potential to yield groundbreaking new tools to understand and develop therapies for CP and related brain disorders. He also discusses how the research to be done is challenging and of high risk to investigators, and in many cases requires novel interdisciplinary collaborations and an increased focus on translations.

Professor Alan Trounson is President of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in California, the state's $3 billion stem cell agency.

Download the videos and presentations.