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Implantation of cells

Stem Cell Implantation

introduction:

The first umbilical cord blood transplant was performed in 1988 in France by Dr. Gluckman on a child with Fanconi anemia (a type of congenital anemia). Since then, hundreds of successful umbilical cord blood transplants have been conducted, and large centers for the storage of these cells have been established in various countries around the world. A review of published statistics indicates that approximately 30,000 patients with diseases treatable by bone marrow stem cell transplants are identified each year, and about 75% of these patients are unable to find a suitable volunteer for bone marrow donation. Furthermore, searching for bone marrow donor registries takes a significant amount of time; thus, cord blood storage reduces this time and increases the number of available donors, thereby shortening the wait for patients with acute leukemias, anemias, and immune deficiencies who face a rapid decline in health.

Today, extensive research is underway to treat diseases and neurological lesions, repair damaged cardiac and bone tissues, heal burns and skin lesions, restore pancreatic function and insulin secretion, and repair other damaged tissues using stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and other adult stem cells.

Diseases Treated with Umbilical Cord Blood

A list of diseases that can be treated using umbilical cord blood stem cells includes:

  • Stem Cell Disorders : Aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)

  • Acute Leukemias : AML, ALL, acute undifferentiated leukemia

  • Chronic Leukemia : CML

  • Lymphocyte Production Deficiencies : Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma

  • Inherited Red Blood Cell Disorders : Beta-thalassemia, sickle cell anemia

  • Congenital Immune Disorders : Kostmann syndrome, leukocyte adhesion deficiency, DiGeorge syndrome

  • Inherited Platelet Disorders : Congenital thrombocytopenia

  • Plasma Cell Disorders : Multiple myeloma, plasma cell leukemia

  • Inherited Diseases : Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, cartilage hypoplasia

  • Other Diseases : Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries, heart and brain strokes, liver diseases, muscular dystrophy

Note: Currently, in our country, only blood-related diseases, including thalassemia, leukemia, and anemias, can be treated using umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Prospects for Stem Cell Use

It has been proven that stem cells are capable of treating a wide range of chronic and acute diseases, and significant research is ongoing into the use of stem cells for conditions such as Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, spinal injuries, and strokes.

  • Alzheimer’s Disease : 1 in 10 individuals over the age of 65 and 5 in 10 individuals over the age of 85 suffer from this condition.

  • Spinal Injuries : Spinal injuries affect over 750,000 people annually in the United States.

  • Bone Reconstruction : There is hope for treating patients with osteoporosis and Parkinson’s disease.

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) : This autoimmune and progressive disease related to the central nervous system affects a large number of individuals each year.