Stem Cell News and Research

Umbilical cord blood, rich in stem cells, may provide raw material to repair the hearts of thousands of babies born each year with defective heart valves, according to researchers.

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The research presented the possibility of a cell therapy aimed at rejuvenating the aged brain. When human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC) were injected into aged laboratory animals, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) found improvements in the microenvironment of the hippocampus region of the animals’ brains and a subsequent rejuvenation of neural stem/progenitor cells.

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A diabetes health Web site posted an article about the ongoing trial at the University of Florida using children’s own stem cells to treat type 1 diabetes.

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Cerebral Palsy: Remarkable results after treatment with cord blood
CBS13 - Sacramento, CA
Just 5 days after undergoing a cord blood stem cell procedure, Dallas said his first word "momma," which was quickly followed by learning to wave and even laughing. "That's the best feeling in the world to hear your little kid laugh," said Dallas' dad Derek. "He had never laughed before." Three months after the treatment, the little boy who didn't have the muscle control to crawl is now scooting all over without using a walker. He is also looking at his parents when they talk to him.

It has the potential to change people's lives, but it is being thrown out every day...

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New York Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol announces the signing of the Umbilical Cord Blood Bill into law by Governor Eliot Spitzer, Chapter 427 of 2007.

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There's a new law that can help save lives. New York Governor Spitzer has signed a bill for public and private umbilical cord blood banking.

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Stem Cells contained in a newborn's umbilical cord blood are increasingly being used in regenerative and transplant medicine to improve and save lives. But the vast majority of expectant parents are not presented with fair and balanced information about cord blood preservation. We can either follow prescriptive guidance based on outdated science or we can be empowered with information to make our own health decisions. Ultimately the choice is yours.

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To see Ryan Schneider now, it's hard to believe the tough start he had in life. Early on, he barely ate and couldn't gain weight. He wasn't able to speak and his arms and hands were fisting in 'L' shapes. Schneider's cerebral palsy seemed incurable, but at birth, his mother saved the blood- rich in stem cells - from his umbilical cord.

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American Diabetes Association Media Release
In a small pilot study, transfusion of stored, autologous (i.e. a person's own), umbilical cord blood into a group of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes appears to have reduced their disease severity, possibly re-setting the immune system and slowing the destruction of their insulin-producing cells, according to a report presented today at the American Diabetes Association's 67th Annual Scientific Sessions.

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Today, President Bush Signed An Executive Order To Strengthen Our Nation's Commitment To Research On Pluripotent Stem Cells. Scientists have recently shown they have the ingenuity and skill to pursue the potential benefits of pluripotent stem cell research - research on cells that have the potential to develop into nearly all the cell types and tissues in the body - without endangering human life in the process. By expanding support for non-destructive research methods, this Executive Order will make it more likely that these exciting advances continue to unfold.

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Not all stem cells are controversial. Those found in umbilical cord blood can be just as effective. Yet, 95-percent of all umbilical cord blood is thrown away at birth. KGUN9 On Your Side's Myrna Membrila spoke to one family who benefited greatly.

When the Changs found out their little boy was sick, they thought he would stay that way for the rest of his life. But an unplanned pregnancy changed their lives forever.

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Mr. Davis Goes to the Legislature
Young Joseph Davis, Jr., age 7, testifies before the Florida Senate health policy committee on the importance of cord blood stem cell education. Joseph was cured of a life-threatening case of sickle cell anemia with the stem cells from the umbilical cord of his younger brother, Isaac. In the hearing, Joseph called Isaac, “my hero and best friend.” Joseph and his family benefited from the Designated Transplant Program, a free service offered by Cord Blood Registry that provides processing and storage of cord blood stem cells for use with a family member who has a condition that would benefit from treatment with genetically-related stem cells.