Coalition for Regenerative Stem Cell Medicine (CRSCM)

Cord Blood Advantages

Stem cells are considered the “master” cells in the body. They have the ability to replicate themselves repeatedly and differentiate into specialized cells with specific functions, thereby acting as the building blocks of organs, tissues, blood and the immune system. Stem cells from bone marrow were first used to regenerate blood and immune cells for patients who had received chemotherapy for cancer. In the late 1980’s, doctors started using umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat diseases that had previously been treated with bone marrow transplantation. Cord blood stem cells are biologically younger and have unique qualities and advantages compared to other stem cell sources like bone marrow:

There is less risk of complications when used in transplants.¹
They are immediately available, and early treatment can minimize disease progression.²
Freezing them "stops the clock" and protects them from environmental damage, age, and common viruses that will impact the stem cells in our bodies over time.³
Collection of cord blood is simple, safe, and painless.

Stem cells from cord blood have a proven track record: they have been used successfully for more than 20 years with demonstrated efficacy and safety; they are currently used to treat certain cancers (including leukemia and lymphoma), various blood disorders (including sickle cell anemia, beta thalassemia and aplastic anemia), immunodeficiencies, and metabolic disorders. They can be easily and non-invasively be collected and have the ability to be stored for many years under the proper conditions.

Cord blood stem cells offer tremendous therapeutic potential with significant advantages in the field of regenerative medicine. They are an excellent source of stem cells for regenerative therapies because they are younger, have strong reparative and proliferative capabilities and fewer immune-related complications. They are also immediately available for clinical use and can be accessed non-invasively. Cord blood stem cells are not embryonic stem cells and are not controversial.

Recent preclinical research has produced encouraging preliminary data supporting the use of cord blood stem cells as a potential therapy for conditions such as cerebral palsy, brain injury, type 1 diabetes, and hearing loss.Given the minimal safety risks; the preliminary data; the immediate readiness for clinical use; and the availability of autologous cord blood units currently stored at private banks, it is critical to advance the research of newborn stem cells in regenerative therapies.

References:

1. Rocha V, Wagner JE, Jr., Sobocinski KA, et al. Graft-versus-host disease in children who have received a cord-blood or bone marrow transplant from an HLA-identical sibling. Eurocord and International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry Working Committee on Alternative Donor and Stem Cell Sources. N Engl J Med. 2000;342(25):1846-1854. 2. Pazdur R, et al. Cancer management: a multidisciplinary approach. 1998. Second edition. 3. Behzad-Behbahani A, Pouransari R, Tabei SZ, et al. Risk of viral transmission via bone marrow progenitor cells versus umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow transplantation. Transplant Proc. 2005;37(7):3211-3212.


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