Potential treatments using stem cell therapy Introduction: Since the time cord blood stem cell banking has been introduced in India, it has given hope to a lot of people suffering from various diseases and disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy, MPS VI, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Fanconi anaemia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, Hodgkin’s disease, Hurler syndrome. As cord blood has proven their potential in curing a number of life-threatening diseases, more and more people are realising the importance of cord blood and cord blood stem cell banking benefits. Stem cells have the ability to differentiate into specialized cell types that provide a renewable source of regenerative cells for those suffering from the above-mentioned diseases. Below are diseases for which treatments are possible via stem cell therapy: Autism Preserved cord blood stem cells can be used to treat Autism in the future. The combined use of mesenchymal stem cells and cord blood offers a promising permanent cure for autism. Traumatic Brain Injury: Recent studies in stem cell therapy showed that children with acute traumatic brain injury can be treated using cord blood stem cells. Stem cells have the ability to help facilitate the healing process, replace damaged and injured cells of the brain.
Cerebral Palsy: Cerebral Palsy is acquired at an early stage, usually when the child is less than a year old. In one of the studies conducted at Monash University Medical, it was found that autologous umbilical cord blood transplant is a best and safe way for the treatment of Cerebral Palsy (CP).
Parkinson's disease: Parkinson’s disease causes the destruction of brain cells. By infusion of stem cells, this condition can be reversed as stem cells have the ability to replace the damaged brain cells. However, recently, the scientist at Rutgers and Stanford University have made a breakthrough in their research that can be useful to cure the disease. The treatment involves the transplantation of cord blood stem cells in a way that after transplantation of stem cells, they start differentiating and produce healthy cells.
Diabetes: Currently, there is no permanent cure for diabetes. However, with the use of stem cells, scientists hope that “beta cells� could be made in the lab and can be used to cure diabetes. A study led by Dr. Yong Zhao, from the University of Illinois at Chicago established the potential use of umbilical cord blood stem cells in treating Type 1 diabetes.
Stem Cells and Drug Testing: Besides the above diseases, stem cells are widely being used in the pharmaceutical field.
Overall, stem cells usage is contributing a lot and is expected to pave the way for new treatments to improve quality of life. As these cells offer hope for those suffering from life-threatening diseases, storing cord blood stem cells in a regulated and reputed cord blood banking facility is a must. References http://www.eurostemcell.org/factsheet/diabetes-how-could-stem-cells-help http://www.explorestemcells.co.uk/benefitsofstemcells.html http://www.parkinsons.org.uk/content/future-treatments-parkinsons
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