Introduction Since the first umbilical cord blood transplantation in 1988 for Fanconi’s anemia (1), umbilical cord blood has become a safe and dependable alternative donor graft source for use in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Approximately 10% of alternative donor grafts for adult hematopoietic cell transplants are umbilical cord blood.(2) Umbilical cord blood has many advantages…
Introduction Until recently umbilical cord blood was considered medical waste. Little is known about the prevalence of conditions potentially amenable to cellular therapy among families storing umbilical cord blood in private cord blood banks. This is the first cross-sectional study of disease prevalence among families with stored umbilical cord blood (UCB) at a private cord…
The pioneering field of regenerative medicine entails the development of methods to regrow, repair or replace damaged or diseased cells, organs or tissues. It includes the use of stem cells, tissue and the production of artificial organs to treat genetic and degenerative diseases, and to rejuvenate or replace damaged tissue or organs. What may seem…
Stem cells are the building blocks of the human body. They can replicate or regenerate themselves and even differentiate into any of the 220 different specialised cells in the body. Due to the immense potential of stem cells to replace diseased or aging cells, or even to be used in the 3D printing of tissues…
The human body is impressive in its ability to heal itself, and this is especially the case in children. With the proper care, a child’s body can easily manage to repair everything from broken bones to scraped knees. But there are some things the body is not capable of healing on its own, and deafness…
Joshua Naicker is gebore met ‘n toestand wat drukking op sy brein veroorsaak het en gevolglik tot breinskade gelei het. Nou wil die Naickers hulle seun na die VSA neem vir stamselterapie. Die soort behandeling vir neurologiese toestande is nog in ‘n kliniese toetsfase. Luister wat die mediese direkteur van CryoSave, Dr. Robert Crooks, te…
According to Luc Noël, MD of the World Health Organization, transplantation has extended the lifespan of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide and enhanced their quality of life and has become the standard of care for many patients, and should no longer be restricted to affluent countries or individuals. The curative potential of this therapy…
Will you bank them, or bin them? Wise up on stem cells before it’s too late. Becoming a parent is fraught with responsibilities. On International Stem Cell Awareness Day, prospective parents should know the facts about the life-saving abilities of umbilical cord stem cells so that they can make informed decisions for their families. …
Any parents who opt to collect and store their babies’ cord blood and tissue want the peace of mind of knowing that these will be stored safely for a lifetime. It is also important to know that the stem cells are transplant-ready and will be accepted at the world’s leading transplant facilities. (To date, the…
Common medical conditions such as heart disease, elevated cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and certain types of diabetes can often be managed and treated through simple changes to lifestyle choices and environmental conditions. On the other hand, when it comes to blood cancers and other blood disorders, these can often only be treated or…