tSCS and 5-Azacitidine for Enhanced Motor Outcomes in Cerebral Palsy

This project will investigate the impact of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) on gait and activity-based training in children with Cerebral Palsy. Through a 1:1 randomization, a subset of participants will also receive a dose of 5-azacitidine (AZA), an FDA-approved drug for pediatric oncology, or a placebo. Research in muscle fibers as shown that AZA aids in muscle growth and regeneration. The use of AZA in this study is an off-label application, employed together with the tSCS intervention to investigate the impact of targeting both muscular and mechanical deficits related to CP. This project will also collect blood samples of participants to perform genetic and epigenetic profiling in order to test for correlation with the severity and trajectory of musculoskeletal impairments and with responses to the tSCS and AZA interventions.

The study team hypothesizes that personalized tSCS combined with targeted gait or activity based training will improve motor outcomes in children with spastic CP by reducing muscle tone, improving gait symmetry and neuromotor function, and increasing functional mobility. Furthermore, the addition of a repurposed anabolic agent (AZA) will augment these gains compared to tSCS and training alone.

Children with CP across GMFCS levels will participate in a three-phase protocol, including: (1) a two week baseline phase, (2) a sixteen week intervention phase during which participants will receive tSCS and training interventions, and (3) a four-week post-intervention phase to examine long term outcomes. At the midpoint, participants will receive a single dose of AZA or a single dose of a placebo through a 1:1 randomization. Participants will have a blood draw in phase 1 for genetic and pre-intervention epigenetic profiling and will have a second blood draw in phase 3 for post-intervention epigenetic profiling.