Stem cells are nature's ultimate regeneration system. They can grow into cells that form any part of us and therefore could offer endless possibilities to renew our bodies.

As stem cells can be grown and transformed into specialised tissues such as nerve cells, blood cells, or brain cells through cell culture methods, their potential for future therapeutic use is expansive. There is a long list of instances where stem cells have already made a positive difference to someone's life. The unique properties of stem cells literally allow the body to recreate damaged cells and repair organs. Cord blood stem cells transplant is now part of the treatment for serious conditions of the blood, the immune system, and some forms of cancer, but advanced research in regenerative medicine is progressing daily.

When these cells are transplanted into patients, they migrate into the recipients' bone marrow and build a replacement immune system to fight disease.

The first attempt to use cord blood in a clinical transplantation was conducted by Dr Elaine Gluckman in 1988. Gluckman transplanted the cord blood of an HLA-identical sibling of different gender to a patient with Fanconi’s anaemia in 1988.

Gluckman’s demonstration of the properties of cord blood stem cells was instrumental in several dozen other sibling donor cord blood transplants in patients afflicted with inherited diseases and haematological malignancies. Cord blood contains all the normal elements of blood - red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes), platelets, and plasma. But it is also rich in haematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells, similar to those found in bone marrow and, for this reason, can be used as an alternative in place of bone marrow for transplantation.

In addition, stem cells from cord blood are better than stem cells from bone marrow because they are less prone to “graft vs. host disease” (GVHD – an immune response mediated by the recipient against the donor cells), as well as other complications relating to the recipient body rejecting implanted cells of foreign origin.

For a full list of the deseases treated using stem cells, please click here.