Stem Cell Nasal Drops Offer Hope for Babies with Brain Injury
NeuroNova Tx - Winner of the most recent Venture Challenge - is making headlines with groundbreaking research that changes the lives of babies born with brain damage.
Oxygen deprivation around birth can lead to serious and lasting brain injury in newborns. Each year, around 300 babies in the Netherlands face this devastating reality. But a pioneering stem cell treatment delivered via nasal drops is now showing remarkable promise.
In a safety study at UMC Utrecht, called PASSIoN, ten newborns received this so-called intranasal stem cell therapy shortly after birth. The results, published in the scientific journal Stroke, are hopeful: children developed better than expected, with earlier walking, fewer motor problems, and none developed epilepsy or vision impairments.
“Seeing such positive development in a high-risk group like this is truly extraordinary,” says pediatrician and professor Manon Benders. “It gives not only the parents but also us as a medical team real hope.”
We are proud that this team won the recent Venture Challenge and is part of the LifeSciences@Work community. Although they are not yet a company, the research team is laying the scientific foundation for a therapy that could one day reach patients worldwide. To scale this innovation and bring it to the clinic, a future spin-off will be needed, but the first steps are already being taken.
The PASSIoN study was designed to test safety, not effectiveness. Yet the unexpectedly positive outcomes pave the way for the upcoming iSTOP-CP study, set to launch in early 2026. A total of 162 newborns with brain damage caused by stroke or oxygen deprivation will participate. Each will receive either stem cells or a placebo within a week after birth. Their development will be closely tracked up to 24 months of age. If proven effective, this therapy could dramatically change the treatment of neonatal brain injury.
“These results, in such vulnerable babies, are exactly what we’ve been working toward,” says neuroscientist and professor Cora Nijboer. “We’re incredibly proud and excited about the start of the iSTOP-CP study.”
The iSTOP-CP study is backed by Zorginstituut Nederland through its Promising Care scheme, as well as by patient organizations including CP Nederland, Care4Neo, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (US), Cerebral Palsy Alliance (Australia), and Fondation Paralysie Cérébrale (France). All Dutch neonatal intensive care units in the Neonatology Network Netherlands (N3) are participating, along with international partners. Health economist Renske ten Ham will evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the treatment, ensuring its potential integration into standard healthcare if results hold up.
To make this large-scale study possible, additional funding is still needed. The UMC Utrecht & Wilhelmina Kinderziekenhuis Foundation is actively raising funds to support this research.
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Listen back to Cora Nijboer on NPO Radio 1: podcast link
LifeSciences@Work is proud to support alumni who turn groundbreaking science into tomorrow’s healthcare solutions. This Venture Challenge success story shows the power of science, collaboration, and entrepreneurship to bring real hope to patients and families.
Source: research.umcutrecht.nl
