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Clinical Trials Offer Hope for Families Affected by Cerebral Palsy and Diabetes
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Today, cord blood stem cells can be used to treat nearly 80 life-threatening diseases and are offering new hope to families affected by conditions that only years ago had no stem cell treatment options. A couple of the most exciting possibilities of cord blood stem cells lies in clinical trials now being conducted to determine whether a child’s own cord blood stem cells may be used to treat cerebral palsy and Type 1 Diabetes.
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is a general term used to describe a group of neurological disorders that appear in early childhood and permanently affect muscle coordination and body movement. It is most often caused by brain injury or
Categories: Emerging Treatments, Transplants and Infusions, Trends in Healthcare
Availability of Public Banking
Thursday, September 16th, 2010
Public cord blood banks: evaluating the benefits and limitations
Today, public banks are an important resource for those patients who do not have access to a source of matched family stem cells. And many women want to donate their baby’s cord blood stem cells to a public bank to help provide life-saving treatments to people in need. It is a worthy cause so it’s important for pregnant women and their families to be fully informed about public cord blood donations before making a decision.
When a medical need for stem cells presents itself, a patient’s doctor will first look to family members to find a match. They may also access the National Marrow Donor Program’s (NMDP) Be The Match ® registry – an inventory of stem cell sources potentially available to be used in transplant. Even with this resource every year 10,000 people do not find an immediate match and must wait for a match in order to receive a stem cell transplant. 1
Categories: Cord Blood 101, Public Banking
Finding a Match – Knowing the Difference between Related and Non-related Stem Cells
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Stem cells have been used in transplant medicine with much success for the last 40 years. Since 1988, stem cells from umbilical cord blood have played a critical role in that success. Growing numbers of expectant parents are donating children’s cord blood or enrolling in family banking, based on the profound potential in cord blood stem cells.
In the event those stem cells are needed for allogeneic transplant, a successful outcome is largely dependent on finding a compatible match from a donor who can be related, like a sibling, or of no relation at all. When a patient is in need the determination of who the donor will be is based on tissue matching. Understanding the basics of tissue matching is key to making an informed decision about what to do with your baby’s cord blood.
Categories: Cord Blood 101, Transplants and Infusions