الفهرس 
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Abstract
Stem cells seem to be the new exciting topic in many of today’s scientific studies. While there is great progress in this area of study, there is just as much controversy surrounding the use of stem cells in clinical therapy. Stem cells are the building blocks of our bodies. They are versatile cells that can become many different forms of tissues. Their proliferative capacity combined with the ability to become specialized make stem cells unique. Their potential for saving lives can revolutionize the treatment of diseases previously thought incurable.
Stem cells have been isolated from embryonic, fetal and adult tissues and, more recently, also from extra-embryonic adnexa such as umbilical cord, placenta, fetal membranes and amniotic fluid. Each different stem cell population carries particular features, values and limitations.
In the past decade, there have been profound changes in our understanding of the mechanisms of injuries to the CNS. Simultaneously, new insights into the regenerative potential of neural cell lines have provided a glimmer of therapeutic hope. Neuronal loss may not be as irretrievable as once assumed.
As the nerve cells are incapable of regenerating after damage, stem cell therapy is emerging as a potentially revolutionary new way to treat diseases and injuries, with wide-ranging medical benefits. It aims to repair damaged and diseased body-parts with healthy new cells provided by stem cell transplants to regenerate the injured tissues and improve their function. Diseases and disorders with no therapies or at best, partially effective ones are the attraction of stem cell research. Stem cell research presents many ethical and scientific questions as well as future challenges.
In the few years since this discovery, evidence has emerged that these stem cells are, indeed, capable of becoming almost all of the specialized cells of the body and, thus, may have the potential to generate replacement cells for a broad array of tissues and organs, such as the nervous system. Thus, this class of human stem cells holds the promise of being able to repair or replace cells or tissues that are damaged or destroyed by many of our most devastating diseases and disabilities. When therapeutically applied, stem cells may be able to counter degenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries by generating healthy cells to replace those that were damaged. Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize human healing processes. It may even allow paraplegics to walk again. Technological advances with stem cells may eradicate Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cerebral palsy.
Cerebral palsy is one of the most devastating conditions met with in pediatrics. It is not a name of a disease, but it is a broad term used to cover many disorders which differ widely in its etiology, pathology and associated findings. Cerebral palsy describes a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation, that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. The motor disorders of cerebral palsy are often accompanied by disturbances of sensation, perception, cognition, communication, and behavior, by epilepsy, and by secondary musculoskeletal problems. The apparent symptoms depend on the affected area of the nervous system.
As cerebral palsy compromises a great problem in our society, as it is not a curable disease, so this review aimed to track the advances achieved in using stem cells as a therapy for cerebral palsy. A brief introduction was made about properties of stem cells, their different sources, possible applications in medicine and the pitfalls of stem cell research. Different applications in neurological disorders were then discussed and the specific role of stem cells in cerebral palsy was introduced. An elaborate description was made on various animal models and humans using different types of stem cells as a potential therapy for different neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy.
Many trials have been done using different types of stem cells; the results of which are encouraging, however many issues have to be clarified. Such issues include the correct choice of cells and the best transplantation. Moreover, the efficacy and safety of this therapy has to be ensured before widely applying them to human beings. Nevertheless, stem cell therapy, might one day restore function to those whose lives are now challenged every day.