Using stem cells derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) then injected intravenously in rats with cerebral palsy led to improvements in their motor, memory, and learning, according to a study published recently in Stem Cell Research & Therapy.
Besides restoring neurological function in the animals, the findings offer other valuable implications. Baby teeth are readily accessible, and using stem cells from teeth is a less invasive, more economical, and scalable option for future medical research, according to the study’s authors.
In the study, researchers induced hypoxic-ischemic brain injuries in seven-day-old rats, resulting in one-sided motor impairment, similar to cerebral palsy in humans. Using SHED stem cells, they injected the rats intravenously at five, seven, and nine weeks of age, equivalent to preadolescence in humans, the researchers wrote. They compared motor and learning functions between the SHED-treated and untreated rats using two physical measurements.
“This study revealed that SHED administered in the chronic phase ameliorated motor, memory, and learning impairments in a cerebral palsy rat model,” wrote the study’s lead author, Dr. Takahiro Kanzawa of Nagoya University Hospital in Japan (Stem Cell Res Ther, January 23, 2026, Vol. 17, 44).
Kanzawa and colleagues also used cell culture experiments to compare SHED stem cells with other types of stem cells derived from bone marrow and dermal fibroblasts. They found that SHED cells promoted neural stem cell proliferation more effectively than the other cell types. The SHED therapy was well tolerated by the rats, with no serious adverse events linked to its administration, the researchers reported.
Kanzawa and his team cautioned that the results should be interpreted with caution, as immune responses, including cell-to-cell interactions and tissue integration, between rats and humans differ and can result in different outcomes.
Nagoya University will next conduct clinical trials evaluating a single IV dose of SHED stem cells in children with cerebral palsy.
“Our ultimate goal is to establish this approach as a new treatment option for patients with cerebral palsy and their families,” Yoshiaki Sato, the study’s corresponding author, said.
