Throughout the world the most widely used stem cell treatment is hematopoietic (or blood) stem cell transplantation, for example, bone marrow transplantation. However, in recent years, cord blood stem cell transplants have shown superior results in comparison to bone marrow, in terms of risks of rejection, contamination, and infection. They also surpass bone marrow in their capability to restore cells damaged or deceased from chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Cord blood has a lower risk of graft-vs-host disease (GVHD).

Approximately 1.24 million blood cancer cases occur yearly worldwide, accounting for roughly 6% of all cancer cases. Worldwide, almost every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every 9 minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer. It is estimated that every year, about 18,000 people, aged between 0 – 74 years of age, might benefit from a potentially life-saving bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. Worldwide there are currently about 50,000 stem cell transplants done yearly, with growth at a rate of 10-15% per year.

In the past 4 decades the recognition of stem cell treatments has drastically increased, mostly due to its high efficacy and recorded success rates of up to 80%. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people might one day benefit from regenerative cell therapy.

Cord blood stem cells save lives.

There are currently over 80 diseases approved for routine treatment with cord blood stem cells. In transplants cord blood stem cells helps rebuild a healthy blood and immune system that has been damaged by disease. There are some of the more than 80 diseases where a child could use his or her own cord blood. However, many of the diseases on the proven treatment list are inherited genetic diseases. Usually, a child with a genetic disease who is in need of a transplant would require a cord blood unit from a sibling or an unrelated donor. In this instance when a family has banked cord blood stem cells the matched sibling’s stem cells will be immediately available. Research indicates that transplants using cord blood from a family member are about twice as effective as transplants using cord blood from a non-relative.

Cord blood and cord tissue stem cells are being studied in regenerative medicine clinical trials for conditions that have no remedy. Families that invest in cord blood, cord tissue, and placental tissue banking are not just investing in the medicine of today—they have realised the potential of stem cell and regenerative medicine in the future. The healing potential of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) as found in cord blood is a long way from being exhausted. There are promising trials underway (over 1300 stem cell trials currently) with these cells that have the ability to continue the innovation in treatment that started with the first successful stem cell transplants many years ago.

These include stem cell treatments for some bone, skin and corneal (eye) injuries. These diseases can be treated by grafting or implanting tissues, and the therapy relies on stem cells within this implanted tissue. Some of these procedures are widely accepted as safe and effective by the medical community and are routinely used for treatment. However, various other diseases and applications of stem cells are yet to be proven in clinical trials and should be considered highly experimental. These unapproved treatments would benefit people that have autism, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, autoimmune diseases, cancer and osteoarthritis.

Parents endeavour to keep their children and family safe, especially when dreaded disease or an unforeseen medical condition occurs in a family. They want to be assured that there are accessible, effective treatments immediately available to the family.

Banking your baby’s cord blood offers you with life-giving stem cells and gives reassurance knowing that you can access your baby’s preserved stem cells at any time.

Cord blood transplants have been proven effective in treating these conditions:

Blood Disorders

• Acute Myelofibrosis
• Agnogenic Myeloid Metaplasia (Myelofibrosis)
• Amyloidosis
• Aplastic Anemia (Severe)
• Beta Thalassemia Major
• Blackfan-Diamond Anemia
• Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia (CAT)
• Congenital Cytopenia
• Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia
• Dyskeratosis Congenita
• Essential Thrombocythemia
• Fanconi Anemia
• Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia
• Myelodysplastic Syndrome
• Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
• Polycythemia Vera
• Pure Red Cell Aplasia
• Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts (RAEB)
• Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts in Transition (RAEB-T)
• Refractory Anemia with Ringed Sideroblasts (RARS)
• Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome
• Sickle Cell Disease

Cancers

• Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
• Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia
• Adult T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma
• Chronic Active Epstein Barr
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
• Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)
• Ewing Sarcoma
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (JCML)
• Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)
• Myeloid/Natural Killer (NK) Cell PrecursorAcute Leukemia
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Prolymphocytic Leukemia
• Plasma Cell Leukemia
• Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
• Multiple Myeloma
• Neuroblastoma
• Rhabdomyosarcoma
• Thymoma (Thymic Carcinoma)
• Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia
• Wilms Tumor

Immune Disorders

• Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency (SCID)
• Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome (SCID)
• Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (SCID)
• Chronic Granulomatous Disease
• Congenital Neutropenia
• DiGeorge Syndrome
• Evans Syndrome
• Fucosidosis
• Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
• Hemophagocytosis Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (Histiocytosis X)
• IKK Gamma Deficiency (NEMO Deficiency)
• Immune Dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) Syndrome
• Kostmann Syndrome (SCID)
• Myelokathexis
• Omenn Syndrome (SCID)
• Phosphorylase Deficiency (SCID)
• Purine Nucleoside (SCID)
• Reticular Dysgenesis (SCID)
• Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Diseases (SCID)
• Thymic Dysplasia
• Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
• X-linked Agammaglobulinemia
• X-Linked Hyper IgM Syndrome
• X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disorder

Metabolic Disorders

• Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria (Gunther Disease)
• Gaucher Disease
• Hunter Syndrome (MPS-II)
• Hurler Syndrome (MPS-IH)
• Krabbe Disease
• Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
• Mannosidosis
• Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome (MPS-VI)
• Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
• Mucolipidosis II (I-cell Disease)
• Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease)
• Niemann-Pick Disease
• Sandhoff Disease
• Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS-III)
• Scheie Syndrome (MPS-IS)
• Sly Syndrome (MPS-VII)
• Tay Sachs
• Wolman Disease
• X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

Further reading:

• https://www.lls.org/facts-and-statistics
• https://priorityyoumd.com/what-is-the-success-rate-of-stem-cell-therapy/