Stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood

2003/02/12 Rementeria Argote, Nagore - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Medikuntza

These companies that act as a blood bank, collect with syringe the blood that has remained in the umbilical cord and in the placenta after the birth of the baby, filter in the laboratory blood cells and stem cells and store it in liquid nitrogen.

Umbilical cord blood has already been used against genetic diseases and some special blood cancers. Looking ahead, scientists believe it can help in bone marrow transplants. However, according to companies responsible for keeping cord blood, stored cells are able to cure leukemia and dementia, and in the future can be used in the treatment of many other diseases.

However, new research suggests that cord blood cells are very rare in brain cell production, so this method is not useful for diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's that damage brain cells. Therefore, although scientists hope to find more useful in the future, they prefer not to be too optimistic.