Future stem cell therapies

The importance of cord blood stem cells

Recent research has shown that umbilical cord blood stem cells can be stimulated to change into cells other than blood cells, for example muscle, liver or nerve cells. This may offer further possibilities for cord blood stem cells in the treatment of many other conditions where cells are missing or deteriorate. Examples include:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Diabetes
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Recovery from stroke
• Neural regeneration
• Retinal regeneration
• Tissue and organ engineering
• Heart disease

Please refer to our Research Library for further information

Umbilical cord blood stem cells can be safely stored for many years offering possible future uses in yet unknown fields. A currently published paper shows a 27 year old sample of umbilical cord blood to be therapeutically viable. We believe that these cells will be able to be stored for far greater periods without degradation.

Stem cell technology is advancing rapidly and increasing research reveals the remarkable properties of these cells. There are now clinical trials of stem cell therapy in ischemic heart disease which, if successful, would suggest that long-term storage of these cells may be invaluable. So the therapeutic role of cord blood may be extensive in the future.

The areas of stem cell therapy research attracting most attention, and particularly relevant to the potential applications of cord blood technology, include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and organ engineering.

Methods for expanding the numbers of stem cells are already at an advanced stage and clinical trials on expanded populations of these cells have been and are being conducted.

Please call our customer support team on +44 (0) 1273 234 676 or visit the library section of our site to find out more.