| As statistics render evidence of more and more | | | | the most primitive cells, therefore, when |
| positive outcomes of cord blood transplants, a | | | | transplanted to the patients, these bring about |
| greater importance is now being placed on cord | | | | lesser threat for graft-versus-host-disease |
| blood donation. Blood and immune system related | | | | [GVRD] which is a probable risk involved in bone |
| diseases were the preliminary ailments in which | | | | marrow transplant. |
| cord blood cell treatment was started. Now the | | | | - The harvesting and collecting process entails |
| transplant is a tool to combat more than seventy | | | | zero pain and risk for the donor, whereas, bone |
| diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, spinal | | | | marrow collection process causes intense pain to |
| cord injuries, some forms of blindness and other | | | | both donor and user. |
| diseases that have originated from the bone | | | | Cord Blood Today |
| marrow. Statistics have published that nearly | | | | New discoveries are showing more techniques of |
| 110,000 people are been diagnosed with these | | | | new ways of cord blood transplant. Medical |
| types of diseases each year in the United States. | | | | practitioners have gone an extra mile now to |
| Because of the painful procedures and other | | | | even expand the stem cells where there is |
| obstacles associated with bone marrow | | | | insufficiency of stem cells. Today, more than |
| transplants, approximately 15,000 people discard | | | | seventy diseases can be cured by cord blood |
| the transplant treatment that they require be | | | | transplants. Here are 'some' of the diseases, which |
| recover. Assiduous cord blood research trials are | | | | can be treated with cord blood transplants. |
| being made to extract further healing benefits | | | | - Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia |
| latent in the umbilical cords of babies and put this | | | | - Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia |
| to use in curing other severe diseases. | | | | - Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia |
| Why Cord Blood Transplants Are Better | | | | - Hunter's Syndrome |
| Alternatives To Bone Marrow Transplants? | | | | - Tay-Sachs Disease |
| The availability of matching donors is the main | | | | - Wolman Disease |
| setback that bone marrow transplants patients | | | | - Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome |
| face. There are cases when the patients even | | | | - Osteoporosis |
| succumb to the disease while waiting for the ideal | | | | - Beta Thalassemia Major |
| match. To further the list of disadvantages, the | | | | Samples of twin pregnancies were generally |
| bone marrow collection procedure is quite painful | | | | rejected due the low availability of cells. But, now |
| and it takes a long time to see any positive result | | | | private banks are looking forward to expand |
| of bone marrow treatment. | | | | donated cord blood stem cell, received from twin |
| Cord blood transplant treatments have shown | | | | pregnancies and make use of these in future |
| more benefits than bone marrow transplant | | | | transplants. |
| treatments, these are - | | | | Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis is another result |
| - Cord blood cells show greater chances of HLA | | | | of cord blood research, made by John Wagner, |
| matching between donors and patients. | | | | M.D. and professor of Department of Pediatrics |
| - Availability of umbilical cord blood stem cell | | | | housed in the University of Minnesota. This |
| makes it more accessible in need of transplants | | | | pre-implantation technique is assumed to be useful |
| than bone marrow stem cells. The patient no | | | | for treating patients suffering from Fanconi |
| longer needs to wait for a donor; he can be his | | | | Anemia, Thalassemia, sickle cell disease, Hurler's |
| own donor if his cord blood had been preserved | | | | syndrome and an array of other genetically |
| after his birth. | | | | transferable diseases. |
| - Since the stem cells found in umbilical cords are | | | | |