Cord blood could yield new treatments for diseases — or even genetic cures.
According to the Cord Blood Registry, recent studies using cord blood as a basis for gene therapy have shown promising results as a cure or treatment for various conditions.
Gene therapy works by identifying the gene causing a particular issue, modifying new cells to correct the problem, and then introducing those healthy cells into the patient. Essentially, the new cells deliver new instructions to the old ones on how they should be working in the body, re-writing the genetic code.
Because cord blood contains many blood-producing stem cells, they serve as an excellent delivery method for these instructions because they form the basis for many different types of cells within that system. A positive change could possibly cascade throughout the entire blood and immune system inside a patient's body after treatment. Using cord blood to harvest stem cells is also ideal because, unlike other methods, it is non-invasive and harmless for the donor.
Recent success stories involving cord blood transplants include a case from St. Louis Children's Hospital in which a little girl received treatment for her sickle-cell anemia. The disease, which causes a malformation of the blood cells, can lead to strokes, chronic pain, and other issues. After the transplant and follow-up care, the girl was able to reduce her medications and live the normal life of a child with the hope of drastically improved long-term health. The Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation lists nearly a hundred more potential genetic blood disorders that can be treated using cord blood and many of these are already undergoing clinical trials and other research.
