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Bone
Marrow Failure
Aplastic
Anemia (Severe)
Amegakaryocytic
Thrombocytopenia
Diamond-Blackfan Anemia
Dyskeratosis Congenita
Fanconi Anemia
Kostmann
Syndrome
Immune
System Disorders
Omenn Syndrome
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID)
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
X-Linked
Lymphoproliferative Disorder Immune System Disorders
Blood
Disorders
Beta Thalassemia Major
Sickle Cell Disease
Inborn
Errors of Metabolism
Adrenoleukodystrophy
Erythrophagocytic
Lymphohistiocytosis
Gunther Disease
Histiocytic Disorders
Hunter Syndrome (MPS-II)
Hurler
Syndrome (MPS-IH)
Krabbe Disease
Lesch-Nyhan
Syndrome
Osteopetrosis
Autoimmune
Diseases
Multiple Sclerosis
Rheumatoid
Arthritis
Systemic Lupus
Erythematosus
Upon
fertilization, the egg and sperm form a 'zygote', from which all other cells in
the body are derived for the rest of the person' s lifetime. As the zygote continues to divide, the
resulting embryo consists of cells with the special ability to generate all the
organs and tissues in the human body.
These special cells are called 'stem cells', as they are literally, the stem from which
all other cell types arise.
As
cells continue to divide and grow, many of them become "differentiated",
meaning that they can no longer further give rise to more cells. Examples of such terminally
differentiated cells include brain cells and heart cells. It is because brain and heart cells are
differentiated that damage to such cells are life threatening, as in the case
of heart attacks, stroke, and spinal
cord injuries. There are many more diseases caused by irreparable injuries,
including diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's Disease,
and Parkinson's Disease to name just a few.
Current medicine provides largely
symptomatic treatment of such diseases.
However, the next generation of medical therapies will arise from stem
cell research that is currently being conducted at a rapid pace around the
world.
The first cord
blood transplant was performed in 1988 in France for a child with Fanconi Anemia
(a rare, lethal blood disorder).
The patient is alive and well today. During the past twenty years, cord blood banking has
developed into a scientifically and medically accepted means of storing stem
cells, and has been used in the treatment of over 50 diseases, including
cancers and various blood disorders.
While thousands of
cord blood transplants have been performed to date, many parents are still not
fully aware of the importance of cord blood banking, whether for public
donation, or for private banking for family use.
Cord Blood Stem Cell Research
At the moment,
stem cells are used in the treatment of over 50 cancers, immune disorders, and
genetic disorders. As technology progresses, it is likely that the field of
stem cells therapy will become more advanced, and the future uses of stem cells
can be limitless. Research in stem cell therapy include usage for treatment of
heart diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, diabetes, and muscular dystrophy
Disease
Treatments
Parkinson's Disease
Cord Blood Association of Canada
Endeavor to Cord Blood Education.
Alzheimer's Disease
Spinal Cord Injury
Huntington's Disease
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Stroke
Muscular Dystrophy
Diabetes
Heart
Disease
Liver Disease
Regenerative
Medicine
Cellular
Cardiomyoplasty
Vascular
Regeneration
Skin Growth
Liver Repair
Kidney Repair
Ex-Vivo Stem Cell
Expansion
Gene Therapy
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