Cord Blood Stem Cell Treatments

Cancer and leukaemia have already been treated, with varying degrees of success, using cord blood embryonic stem cells (CBEs) and research into the use of cord blood-derived stem cells for conditions such as brain injury and diabetes is well under way.  Stroke and hearing loss are also being investigated as potential applications for CBE therapy, and with news of a man appearing cured of HIV through stem cell therapy (indirectly, as the therapy was for leukaemia), the possibilities continue to grow.

The use of cord blood from public banks has grown exponentially in the past few years as more and more patients are treated using this donated blood rather than waiting for a bone marrow transplant for blood disorders such as leukaemia.  The difficulty in finding a matching bone marrow donor who is able to undergo the procedure means that more cord blood, which has a lower risk of graft-versus-host effect is now being used. If a child uses their own, privately banked, cord blood stem cells for treatment then there is no risk of immune system rejection.

A study by Haller, et al (2009), is looking at the effect of autologous cord blood transfusion in children who have type 1 diabetes.  So far the treatment has proven to be safe but there is little known about its efficacy; the children continue to be monitored for improvements in the condition.  Treatment for cardiovascular disease is also being investigated, with animal models so far indicating an ability by the cord blood stem cells to migrate to injured heart tissue and improve the condition (Harris, et al, 2007).

Recent advances have also included the use of human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBs) in animal models to induce neuron growth and inhibit tumor growth in neuronal tissue with some success (Gondi, 2010).  Although human applications for this remain theoretical the treatment appears promising, with embryonic stem cells development into oligodendroglial cells after transplantation into animals’ brains offering a possible model for multiple sclerosis or other neurodegenerative disease treatments (Bieberich, 2010).

Next Read About: Private Cord Blood Banks