Who Can Use Cord Blood Stem Cells?

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. It contains stem cells, which can be used to treat a variety of diseases. Diseases that cord blood stem cells have been used to treat include leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and severe combined immunodeficiency.

Cord blood stem cells are being used more and more to treat a variety of diseases. Not only are cord blood stem cells a natural source of replacement cells, but they also match perfectly to the patient. There isn't much possibility for rejection or toxicity with the immune system never even recognizing them since these come from birth itself. However, not only the baby is a perfect match for its stem cells, but so is the mother! For any woman who has a baby, she will have an 18% chance that her own stem cells will be a perfect match for her child if he or she should need a stem cell transplant one day.

Does the disease being treated matter?

There are so many potential uses for these cells and researchers are discovering new ways to use them all the time. They have been used to treat a variety of diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, juvenile onset (Type 1) diabetes mellitus/IDDM), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis / ALS), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). They may also be used in the future to help treat other diseases.

The disease being treated does matter because different diseases respond to treatments using cord blood stem cells in different ways. For example, leukemia responds well to treatments using cord blood stem cells from children but not from adults. Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system, and cord blood stem cells can help treat it. Juvenile onset (Type 1) diabetes mellitus/IDDM is a disease that affects how the body uses sugar, and cord blood stem cells can help treat it.

Matching cord blood stem cells to a patient

Cord blood stem cells are always a perfect match for the patient. Because each person has their own individual genetic make up, there is no such thing as "one size fits all" with stem cells. When a patient receives stem cells from another person, their immune system recognizes the cells as being foreign and tries to get rid of them. This is called rejection. With cord blood stem cells, the patient's own immune system will never even know they are there. This makes cord blood very safe to use for transplanting.

Using Your Baby's Cord Blood

One important thing to keep in mind is that a baby's cord blood may not be available for use if the baby needs it himself or herself. For example, if a baby has leukemia and the parents decide to bank their baby's cord blood for future use, the baby's own stem cells may be used to treat the leukemia. If a baby needs a stem cell transplant, the best option may be to use stem cells from an adult donor.

There are many potential uses for cord blood stem cells and researchers are discovering new ways to use them all the time.

So, if you want to secure your child's and your own health for many years ahead, go to our shop page and order your kit today!