Highlight
– Intranasal administration of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in neonates with perinatal arterial ischemic stroke is feasible and shows no related adverse events up to two years of age.
– MRI analysis revealed a high tissue preservation ratio at 3 months post-treatment, exceeding expectations based on initial stroke volume.
– Children treated with MSCs exhibited fewer MRI signatures of corticospinal tract damage and better motor function at age two compared to a non-treated historical cohort.
– Cognitive, behavioral, and language impairments affected 10%–20% of treated children; no cases of epilepsy were observed within two years.
