Molecular geneticists have discovered a simple way to expand cord blood cells by treating them with a small molecule drug that stimulates their natural proliferation.
Mayo Clinic is announcing the first stem cell clinical trial for pediatric congenital heart disease in the United States.
The trial aims to determine how stem cells from autologous umbilical cord blood can help children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).
Video: broadcastmed.com
Duke Medicine received $15 million for research that explores the use of umbilical cord blood cells to treat autism, stroke, cerebral palsy and related brain disorders.
Every four minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Blood stem cell transplants have become a standard way to treat children with leukemia and other blood disorders, but have been limited for only small children. Now, doctors are saving older children by transplanting not just one but two umbilical cords!
Two teams of scientists published studies on Sunday showing that blood from young mice reverses aging in old mice, rejuvenating their muscles and brains. As ghoulish as the research may sound, experts said that it could lead to treatments for disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.
Bladder cells can now be derived from umbilical cord blood cells (UBCs). This important breakthrough will lead the way in developing regenerative therapies for the treatment bladder defects that are common in children with Spina bifida or other congenital defects.
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Fanconi’s anemia is an autosomal recessive disorder with symptoms that include bone marrow failure, a predisposition to neoplasia, high incidence of myelodysplasia, progressive pancytopenia as well as nonhematopoietic developmental anomalies. The transplantation of stem cells is the only treatment available for this condition. The best results are reported when the sample is derived from a matched brother or sister. If a matched sibling sample is not available an unrelated donor sample might be used but the results are inferior and have a high possibility of morbidity and mortality¹.
