Medical Advances of Cord Blood Cord blood Stem cells play an integral role in our body. Extracting these cells from the umbilical cord and preserving it with a reliable cord blood stem cell banking facility can prove to be useful in the future during a medical emergency. When the need arises, these cells can be used to repair the damaged cells and reproduce the healthy ones to immunize your body. What are cord blood stem cells? Cord blood originates in newborn’s umbilical cord and can be collected immediately after birth. It contains stem cells which have been used to regenerate healthy blood and immune systems. Cord blood stem cells are young, fresh and undifferentiated cells that have the ability to grow rapidly into specialized cell types. Cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). By using these stem cells you can treat numerous haematological disorders such as Leukaemia, Lymphomas, Anaemia and many others. 5 unique qualities that make umbilical cord blood banking so convenient and important. 1. Umbilical cord blood banking is the process of collecting and preserving your baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells for future medical uses. 2. Collecting umbilical cord stem cells is a quick and easy procedure and painless for the mother and baby. 3. Stem cells from the umbilical cord blood are young and unexposed to the external environment, thus they can be transplanted with higher chances of acceptance in the patient body. 4. The therapeutic potential of umbilical cord stem cells is vast. These stem cells are already being used to treat more than 80 life threatening diseases. 5. Cord blood stem cells are genetically unique and exclusive. If your family has a history of complex diseases, like: Alzheimer's disease, Arthritis, Asthma, Heart disease and stroke, chances of your children inheriting them are higher. These life threatening diseases can be cured with cord blood. All the more reason why you should opt for preservation of cord blood stem cells. 6. Umbilical cord stem cells if preserved are readily available in case of emergency for the baby and family. This ensures that in situations of crisis, you wouldn't have to spend months or years finding a donor. Recent Advances Besides the ability of stem cells to cure over 80 different diseases and disorders, there have been numerous medical advances in the field of cord blood research! Cord blood stem cell therapy is being investigated in patients for regenerative medicine applications in FDA-regulated studies for conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism, pediatric stroke and more. Cerebral palsy: It is caused by a brain injury or lack of oxygen in the brain before birth or during the first few years of life, can impair movement, learning, hearing, vision, and cognitive skills. If parents have saved their infant’s cord blood, and have a clinical evidence of a non-progressive motor disability then the baby can undergo cord blood infusion to cure cerebral palsy.
Pediatric Stroke: Stroke occurs when blood flow is interrupted to part of the brain, leading to the destruction of brain cells. The risk of a stroke in children is greatest in the first year of life, and peaks during the perinatal period, roughly the weeks before and immediately after birth. After an evaluation is complete, eligible patients will receive a single autologous stem cell infusion, with follow-up testing to occur after six and 12 months. A new clinical trial at the Florida Hospital for Children will investigate using a child’s own cord blood stem cells as treatment after a paediatric stroke.
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Reference: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01988584