Cord Blood Research

Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, Chief Scientific Officer, Robertson Clinical and Translational Cell Therapy Program at Duke University, has been practicing regenerative medicine through the use of umbilical cord stem cells. These FDA-approved clinical trials could improve the lives of many, including children with brain injuries. One of Dr. Kurtzberg’s patients is Grace Matthews. During a routine 20 week ultrasound, it was… Read More »Video: FDA Study Uses Umbilical Cord Blood in New Treatments

If you are an expectant parent, it is helpful to know that more than 80 diseases are currently being treated with umbilical cord blood stem cells. Although the first successful stem cell transplant from bone marrow was done almost 60 years ago, the first cord blood transplant wasn’t done until 1988. Matthew Farrow, then a five-year-old boy with Fanconi anemia… Read More »The Future of Umbilical Stem Cell Treatments

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are currently being used in the treatment of more than 80 diseases, and testing is currently underway for the future treatment of many other diseases. New England Cord Blood Bank has been successfully processing and storing umbilical cord blood stem cells since 1995. One of the diseases currently being treated with umbilical cord blood… Read More »Treatment of Hodgkin Lymphoma with Umbilical Stem Cells

How It Got Its Name The name “Sickle Cell Disease” (SCD), also known as Sickle Cell Anemia, is derived from the C-shaped formation of red blood cells in those who have the disease. This crescent shape of red blood cells resembles a harvesting tool called the sickle. According to the National Institute of Health, “Sickle cells are stiff and sticky.… Read More »Sickle Cell Disease Treated by Cord Blood Stem Cells

Some of the most successful results of umbilical cord blood stem cell treatment are related to blood disorders and diseases, including leukemia. Sometimes referred to as blood cancer, there are several types of leukemia, named for the kind of cell affected. The disease develops when blood cells produced in the bone marrow grow out of control.
More than 25,000 leukemia patients around the world have received cord blood transplants as a form of treatment. It’s an effective alternative to chemotherapy and radiation, which destroys the bone marrow. Transplanted stem cells can restore the bone marrow’s ability to make healthy blood cells.Read More »Fighting Leukemia with Umbilical Cord Blood

At least 1.5 million Americans have lupus, according to the Lupus Foundation of America, with more than 16,000 new cases of lupus reported every year across the country. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body — skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body. Normally our immune system protects the body from germs, viruses and bacteria, but for people with lupus, their immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissue, leading to chronic inflammation. People of all races and ethnicities can develop lupus, but it affects mostly women.Read More »Advances in Treatment for Lupus

Stem cell research has been in many debates in recent years. What might not be understood is that the controversy centers on the source of the stem cells. There has been an extraordinary amount of research and developments made in both umbilical cord stem cell and embryonic stem cell research. What’s the difference? Collecting stem cells from the leftover blood… Read More »Umbilical Cord vs Embryonic Stem Cells

Every year, on a day in October, organizations and individuals around the world come together to ensure that we realize the benefits of one of the most promising fields of science in our time.  Stem Cell Awareness Day #StemCellDay – this year on October 8 – is a unique global opportunity to foster greater understanding about stem cell research and the… Read More »#StemCellDay: Shining the Light on Breakthroughs in Stem Cell Research