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This week is Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week and this week we’ll be highlighting how stem cells can be used to help people with Down’s.

There are around 40,000 people in the UK who have Down’s Syndrome and 1:1000 babies born in the UK will have Down’s, that’s around 8,000 a year^[1].

Down’s Syndrome occurs at conception and is caused by an extra chromosome in the baby’s cells. Down’s is an irreversible condition, there is no cure. People with Down’s do not suffer from the condition and they are not ill, it is not a disease^[2]. However, people with Down’s Syndrome are more likely to suffer from certain health problems because they have Down’s, problems which can be helped or even cured with stem cells.

One such problem is Congenital Heart Defect. A congenital heart defect means that it is a heart defect that you are born with. Around 50% of children with Down’s Syndrome will be born with a congenital heart defect, of those 60% will need hospital treatment^[3].

Another health issue faced by those with Down’s is an increased likelihood of developing leukaemia, in fact children with Down’s are 10 to 20 times more likely to develop the illness than those without Down’s^[4].

Both congenital heart defects and Down’s Syndrome can be diagnosed in pregnancy, giving parents the opportunity to bank their baby’s umbilical cord blood. The opportunity to do this only presents itself once and can give parents extra security knowing they have a stem cell match for their child and the opportunity to access emerging and regenerative therapies.

Many parents of children with Down’s worry about the increased risk of their child developing dementia. It is a common belief that children with Down’s develop dementia and at an early age. A recent study showed that children with Down’s were no more likely to develop dementia than those without Down’s^[5].

^[1] http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/about/general/

^[2] http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/about/general/

^[3] http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Downs-syndrome/Pages/Complications.aspx

^[4] http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/childAML/HealthProfessional/page8

^[5] http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Downs-syndrome/Pages/Complications.asp

Autism is a developmental condition which affects around 500,000 people in the UK, it affects the way that people communicate and the way they understand the world around them. Autism is a spectrum disorder, this means that many people will share many of the same issues and difficulties because of autism but overall, autism will affect them all differently. Because of the spectrum nature of autism, it can be difficult for others to understand. For example one person with autism may appear to lead a “normal” life with qualifications and steady job while another may need lifelong support but both have the same condition, just variations of it.

There is no cure or medical treatment for autism; however, there are a range of therapies to help autistic people. Such therapies are often called interventions and can include teaching autistic people makaton to help them communicate more effectively. Interventions are designed to focus on a specific area which could be improved with development such as cognitive skills, communication skills, academic skills and even social interaction skills.

Cells4Life, the experts in stem cell processing are supporting World Autism Awareness Month While autistic people may not be on any medication to directly treat their autism, they may be on medication to treat conditions associated with it. These illnesses can include depression, epilepsy, ADHD and sleep disorders.
The cause of autism is still unknown but researchers believe that defective connections in the brain may be at fault. In some children with autism, the development and operation on the nervous system may have been affected by a dysfunctional immune system. Studies have shown that anti-inflammatories and steroids have some promise in helping to relieve the symptoms of autism.^[1]

Research has also shown that the stem cells found in an infant’s umbilical cord blood can help to regulate the immune system and promote neurological repair.^[1] There are currently 4 clinical trials investigating the application of cord blood in relation to autism. One of these studies is investigating whether the reinfusion of a child’s umbilical cord blood could adapt the child’s nervous system and help with language and behaviours.^[2]

^[1] http://www.cordblood.com/stem-cell-research/cord-blood-research/autism

^[2] http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01638819?term=cord+blood+autism&rank=1

Here we take a look at Aplastic Anaemia, as we look at the shortage of stem cell donors from minority backgrounds.

Cells4Life are increasing awareness of the lack of stem cell donors on the register.

Aplastic anaemia (AA) is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the bone marrow’s inefficient production of replenishing blood cells. Anaemia usually refers to a lack of red blood cells but with aplastic anaemia the term refers to a lack of all three blood cell types; red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Each blood cell type has an incredibly important role; red blood cells carry oxygen around the body, white blood cells fight infections, germs and bacteria while platelets stop us bruising and bleeding.

Without efficient production of red blood cells sufferers can feel tired, short of breath and look pale. A lack of white blood cells can lead to recurrent and severe infections while a lack of platelets can cause unexplained bruising, bleeding gums and nose bleeds to name but a few.

AA is a serious illness with 100-150 new cases being diagnoses in the UK each year.

Aplastic Anaemia is a rare disease and affects people from all ethnicities, the treatment for aplastic anaemia can include a stem cell transplant. Stem cell therapies fall into two broad categories; transplant or regenerative medicine. Currently the NHS only use stem cells in transplant medicine and stem cell matches on the donor register will only be used for transplant medicine. As we continue with our awareness campaign we will highlight not only the shortage of donors and race in transplant medicine but also the illnesses which can be treated with stem cell transplants.

Stem cells are amazing. You may think this a biased opinion coming from us, but the following story is here to prove they are amazing. A young man who donated his stem cells so that a woman overseas could receive a lifesaving treatment gets to meet her.

Stem cells and related research are all over the news, as amazing new applications for them are being studied, discovered and applied all the time.

This means you may have already heard of them. You may even know exactly what they are. But for anyone who wants a more in-depth knowledge of these potentially life-saving cells, read on.

According to the first large-scale study of its kind, pregnant women are at no greater risk of being admitted to hospital with severe coronavirus symptoms than other women.

The study examined more than 420 expectant mothers who were admitted to hospital with critical cases of COVID-19 between March 1 and April 14. Results show that only 10% of them required treatment in ICU. This figure is comparable to the statistics for other woman who are not pregnant.

The sister company of Cells4Life, Stabilitech Biopharma, have been formally recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an official vaccine developer.

Stabilitech board member Dr Jeff Drew, who is also the co-founder of Cells4Life, noted: “The WHO is a pivotal player when it comes to vaccines, it sets all of the guidelines adopted by bio-pharmaceutical companies for vaccines development.

Cells4Life’s sister company, Stabilitech, is developing an oral coronavirus vaccine that could be delivered in the post.

Cells4Life Chairman, Wayne Channon, who is also Chairman of Stabilitech, says the firm is hoping to produce millions of its potential coronavirus vaccines by Christmas this year.

The sister company of Cells4Life – Stabilitech – has joined the race to create a vaccine for the coronavirus which has put the country into lockdown and is currently raising £6 million in funding to finance the next crucial stage of development.

Stabilitech, a UK biotechnology company which develops next-generation vaccines and biopharmaceuticals, is seeking an investment of £6 million to fund clinical trials and manufacturing of an oral COVID-19 capsule vaccine.

This month, we celebrate achieving AABB accreditation – a globally renowned certification that recognises standards, practices and quality management in the collection, processing and storage of cord blood.

This is just the latest quality standard that we’ve attained. Most importantly we are licenced by the UK regulator the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and have been since its formation. We are also authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and approved by the National Association of Phlebotomists.

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