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Therapy Options
The option to have one's own stem cells frozen for future use did not become available until the mid 90's. As the number of diseases that can be treated with the assistance of umbilical cord blood stem cells increases, so does the number of parents who recognize this procedure as an opportunity to provide preventative care and seize it.
Leukemia
Leukemia was treated with donated bone marrow long before evidence of the individual properties of stem cells was found. Leukemia therapy was one of the first great achievements of stem cell therapy and remains the most common reason for a stem cell transplant today.
A procedure on a patient suffering from leukemia was also the basis for the first transplant of umbilical cord blood stem cells, which was performed in 1988. Since then, stem cells collected from the umbilical cord blood are preferred over those generated from bone marrow in more and more cases, because they are less differentiated in terms of their immunology than older bone marrow stem cells. The probability of finding a suitable donor is consequently higher than it is with bone marrow transplants. On the other hand, leukemia is one of the few diseases, where treatment involves primarily the use of third party cells, given that a minimal rejection reaction of the body is actually desirable in these cases. It activates the immune defense, which in turn results in the more effective combating of cancer cells. It was found that the transplant-versus-leukemia-effect is high, the transplant-versus-host-reaction, on the other hand, is minimal.
For numerous other treatments this rejection reaction is not welcome. The objective in this case is therefore the replacement of the body's own stem cells.
Other Diseases
The list of diseases that can be treated with adult stem cells is long. Some are already in clinical trials, including diseases such as
Experiments to heal diseases considered incurable to date are also underway, such as the treatment of
Use after Chemotherapy
Stem cells generated from the umbilical cord blood can also be used for the treat of cancer - once the patient has been through chemotherapy. Chemotherapy causes substantial damage to the bone marrow stem cells - in some cases it may destroy them entirely - which is similar to what happens in the treatment of leukemia. Prior to treatment, bone marrow biopsies are frequently performed on the patients to obtain stem cells which can help their bodies regenerate after chemotherapy. This procedure is redundant for patients who have had their umbilical cord blood stem cells frozen.
Moreover, it is highly likely that umbilical cord stem cells were harvested at a time before the cancer triggering events had an impact on the patient's body. This reduces the risk of the cancer returning after the patient goes into remission.
Another advantage of stem cells generated from umbilical cord blood: the probability that the stem cells of the child can also be used for siblings and other family members - thanks to the genetic relationship.
Stem Cell Research for Future Treatments
Some of the other interesting disciplines under research at this time include:
The pre-differentiation of the unspecialized stem cells, into for instance muscular or nerve cells or even insulin producing beta cells, so that these cells can later be used more specifically, for instance for cardiovascular and neurological diseases or diabetes.
The expansion (proliferation) of adult stem cells outside of the human body without their losing their typical characteristics. This would make it possible to create a biologic inventory of stem cells, which can be used when needed.
The breeding of tissue from the body's own adult stem cells, such as skin, cartilage or heart valves (tissue engineering). The benefit: the body's own tissue is not recognized as foreign tissue. The rejection reaction common with third party organ transplants does not occur, and the patient can therefore also forego the lifelong administering of immune-suppressant medication.
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