One Day MD | Evidence-Based Wellness

Stem cells  are the basis of bone marrow transplants, a technique used to treat diseases such as leukaemia for many decades. Since the first stem cell transplant in 1988 much attention has been focused on stem cell therapy and its potential applications. Stem cells are “naïve” cells – capable with the right stimuli to transform into other cells types found in the human body e.g. liver, skin, red blood cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are one of the most primitive types of cells in the body. Created during the earliest phases of development they have the potential, given the right stimuli, to become specialised cells such as red or white blood cells. It is these properties and the fact that the umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells that has prompted private companies to offer frozen storage of these cells from umbilical cord blood collected at birth. The umbilical cord bloods are stored by freezing the cells in liquid nitrogen, which allows preservation of...

Stem cells are the basis of bone marrow transplants, a technique used to treat diseases such as leukemia for many decades. Since the first stem cell transplant in 1988 much attention has been focused on stem cell therapy and its potential applications. Stem cells are “naïve” cells – capable with the right stimuli to transform into other cells types found in the human body e.g. liver, skin, red blood cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are one of the most primitive types of cells in the body. Created during the earliest phases of development they have the potential, given the right stimuli, to become specialized cells such as red or white blood cells. It is these properties and the fact that the umbilical cord is a rich source of stem cells that has prompted private companies to offer frozen storage of these cells from umbilical cord blood collected at birth. The umbilical cord bloods are stored by freezing the cells in liquid nitrogen, which allows preservation of the stem...

Diseases treated with cord blood can be divided into 2 categories: Proven Standard Therapies Therapies in Clinical Trials Before choosing the right form of cord blood banking it is also important to distinguish between two modes of treatment: Allogeneic - patient receives stem cells from a matching donor, either a sibling or an unrelated donor Autologous - patient receives their own stem cells When parents donate cord blood to a public bank, they are supporting patients around the world who are searching for an unrelated Allogeneic donor. When parents save cord blood in a family bank, they are reserving the options that the baby can use its own stem cells for an Autologous treatment, or an immediate relative (sibling or parents) can use the stem cells for an Allogeneic treatment. Standard Therapies with blood-forming stem cells These are diseases for which transplants of blood-forming stem cells (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants, HSCT) are a standard treatment. F...