Stem Cell Blog

Употребата на матичните клетки од папочна врвца рапидно се зголемува. Пред 10 години крвта од папочна врвца можеше да лекува околу 40 состојби, но денес таа бројка е над 80. Со нетрпение очекуваме нови терапии за болести и нарушувања како што се дијабет, аутизам и мозочен удар, можете да бидете во тек со најновите случувања во регенеративната медицина на нашиот блог за матични клетки.



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A recent study, carried out both in vitro and in vivo on a mouse model, has found that extracellular vesicles derived from adipose (fat) and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could have a regenerative effect on sun-damaged skin.[1]

Sun damage causes and consequences

Unprotected exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun damages the DNA in your skin, ageing it prematurely. This is called photoaging, or sun damage, and can take several forms:[2] [3] [4]

  • Wrinkles and skin thickening: UV rays break down collagen and elastin, proteins which give your skin its structure and elasticity. As a result, skin becomes thicker and wrinkled over time, beyond what would normally be caused by ageing.

  • Sun spots, redness or blotchiness: skin cells produce melanin as a reaction to UV rays, in an attempt to protect against further sun damage. This is the same process that gives you a tan. However, over time, the damaged skin becomes permanently, unevenly pigmented, causing darker patches often called sun spots. This can also take the form of broken blood vessels, causing permanent redness or blotchiness. This happens particularly in areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as the face and hands.

  • Skin cancer: too much UV exposure can cause skin cancer. In the UK, overexposure to UV radiation is the cause of 85% of cases of melanoma skin cancers.[5]

What are extracellular vesicles? 

Extracellular vesicles are tiny particles which are generated from cells. They can carry important biomolecules, like fats and proteins, to other cells, working as a messenger of sorts.

Because the contents of extracellular vesicles can vary depending on the originating cells, scientists believe they could be of great importance in medicine. They could serve as a prognostic tool to predict the likely course of diseases, as well as help to cure them.[6]

In particular, extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells could inherit their regenerative properties, and have been a recent focus of research for their therapeutic potential.

What did the study find?

In the study, scientists from Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China, aimed to investigate the effects of extracellular vesicles derived from adipose mesenchymal stem cells (AMSC-EVs) and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSC-EVs) on photoaging.

In vitro, AMSC-EVs and HUMSC-EVs had positive effects on keratinocytes (cells which make up the outermost layer of the skin) and fibroblasts (cells which make up the connective tissue in the middle layer of the skin) that had been exposed to UV radiation. Treatment with EVs lowered inflammation and reduced the levels at which various biomarkers of senescence (ageing) were present in cells. Moreover, the treatment boosted cell proliferation and migration, properties which make skin cells better able to heal damage. Similar protective and regenerative effects were also observed using an in-vitro, full-thickness model of human skin.

These positive results prompted further analysis in vivo, using nude mice. The mice were randomly split into four groups, keeping one as the control. The other three groups were first exposed to high doses of UV radiation, then treated, respectively, with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a placebo, with AMSC-EVs and with HUMSC-EVs.

All three groups exposed to UV initially developed deep, wide wrinkles. By the end of the observation period, however, the skin of mice treated with EV showed significantly fewer and thinner wrinkles. Skin analysis showed that EV treatment helped the skin recover water content, and reversed the epidermal thickening caused by UV radiation. The treatment also improved collagen and elastin levels and reduced inflammation. Additionally, there were fewer biomarkers of ageing in the skin cells of treated mice.

The benefits of stem cell banking

Both types of EVs studied proved effective in mitigating photoaging. However, the researchers noted that, in the mouse model, the effects of EVs derived from umbilical cord MSCs seemed better, from a therapeutic point of view, than those of EVs derived from fat tissue MSCs. The skin of the mice in the HUMSC-EV treatment group was noticeably less wrinkled. Additionally, the skin’s water content was much closer to that of the mice who had not been exposed to UV radiation at all, as was the epidermal thickness.

Furthermore, the process of collecting fat tissue for therapies is inherently invasive, but must be undergone if patients wish to use autologous (their own) stem cells as a therapeutic source. Conversely, the collection of stem cells from the umbilical cord is a painless, entirely non-invasive process; however, the cord must have been collected immediately after birth, and the cells and tissues cryogenically stored for future use. If this was not done, the only way to access therapies based on umbilical cord stem cells is the use of allogeneic (donor) cords – something which can encounter any number of issues, from lack of availability to incompatibility or rejection.

To find out more about storing your baby’s umbilical cord stem cells, so they will have them ready and waiting rather than needing to seek out alternative stem cell sources should they ever need regenerative therapies, fill in the form below to request your welcome pack.

References

[1] Zhang, H., et al. (2024). Human adipose and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles mitigate photoaging via TIMP1/Notch1. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 9(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-024-01993-z

[2] Grabel, A. (2019). Photoaging: What You Need to Know About the Other Kind of Aging. The Skin Cancer Foundation. https://www.skincancer.org/blog/photoaging-what-you-need-to-know/

[3] Cleveland Clinic (2022). Sun-damaged Skin: Photoaging, Signs, Causes & Treatment.  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5240-sun-damage-protecting-yourself

[4] Yale Medicine (2023). Photoaging (Sun Damage). https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/sun-damage

[5] Cancer Research UK (2020). Risks and causes of melanoma skin cancer. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/melanoma/risks-causes

[6] Zhang, Y., Liu, Y., Liu, H. and Tang, W.H. (2019). Exosomes: biogenesis, biologic function and clinical potential. Cell & Bioscience, 9(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13578-019-0282-2


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After two planned transplants from unrelated donors fell through at the very last minute, Australian three-year-old Tommy Bacon is now in remission from a rare, dangerous form of leukaemia following a transplant of the stem cells from his baby sister’s cord blood.[1]

Tommy’s story 

Tommy fell ill not long after his parents discovered they were expecting a second child – a baby girl. When he first started showing signs of illness, his parents and their doctor were not immediately alarmed. They assumed it was just a case of the usual germs picked up at daycare, which he had recently begun attending.

After he developed tonsillitis during a family trip to the UK in May 2023, however, his parents took him to the hospital and insisted he should be admitted. Tests eventually revealed that he had leukaemia. More specifically, he had a form of the disease called juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML). What’s worse, he had one of the most high-risk, aggressive variants.

JMML is incredibly rare, with only 1-2 children out of one million being diagnosed with it every year[2]. A stem cell transplant is the only curative treatment option. Without a transplant, however, a child with an aggressive variant of JMML could survive for less than a year.[3]

The search for a donor

Australia’s donor registry had no donor compatible with Tommy, so his parents started a donor drive. Eventually, an international donor was found. Unfortunately, however, the donor pulled out of the donation process a week before Tommy was due to start his pre-transplant chemotherapy.

By then, Tommy’s baby sister’s due date was fast approaching, and his parents booked a date for the induction. On the day they were going into hospital, a phone call came that a second donor had been found for Tommy. Still, they decided to have their baby girl’s cord blood collected and stored with an Australian cord blood bank, just in case – although they knew it wasn’t guaranteed that she would be a match for Tommy.

Not long after baby Aria’s birth, the second donor, too, pulled out. The family was heartbroken.

A search for a third donor got underway, but Tommy didn’t have long. Because of this, a decision was made to prepare Tommy’s dad as a half-matched (haploidentical) donor. Such a transplant would not have been ideal, since haploidentical transplant recipients are at higher risk of developing post-transplant complications[4]. Absent a perfect match, though, this was Tommy’s last hope.

Then, the cord blood bank called: they had tested Aria’s cord blood, and she was a perfect match for Tommy.

Within a few weeks, Tommy received his transplant. Four months later, he was in remission.

The importance of family cord blood banking

Tommy’s story highlights the importance of family stem cell banking. By choosing to bank your baby’s cord blood stem cells, they will always be ready and waiting should your baby, or another family member, need them.

Their cord blood stem cells are guaranteed to be their own perfect genetic match. There is also a 25% chance they will be a perfect match for a sibling, and a 50% chance of a partial match. Moreover, they are always a partial match for both parents. This is why it can be so important to bank cord blood for every baby in the family, rather than just one.

Stem cells are being heavily investigated in the field of regenerative medicine to treat a wide variety of illnesses and injuries that are currently considered incurable. There are over 7500 clinical trials currently investigating  both autologous (a patient’s own stem cells) and allogeneic (donor stem cells) uses of stem cells, in the hopes of developing new therapies.

These therapies aim to take advantage of the regenerative qualities of stem cells to aid in healing injuries such as spinal cord damage, heart disease, brain injury, arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

By saving your baby’s cord blood stem cells, you can give your baby and family a better chance of accessing these therapies, should they need one in the future.

“I would strongly recommend that if you’re thinking about getting cord blood collected, do it!” says Tommy’s mum, Kylie. “If it can change a life in such a huge way, why would you not?”[5]

To find out more about how cord blood banking works, and how it could safeguard your family’s health, fill in the form below to request a free welcome pack.

References

[1] Gannon, G. (2025). Aria was a miracle stem cell transplant donor for her brother. The Australian Women’s Weekly. https://www.womensweekly.com.au/news/real-life/stem-cell-transplant-donor/

[2] St. Jude Care & Treatment. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia Treatment. https://www.stjude.org/care-treatment/treatment/childhood-cancer/leukemia-lymphoma/juvenile-myelomonocytic-leukemia-jmml.html

[3] Lls.org. JMML treatment outcomes. https://www.lls.org/leukemia/juvenile-myelomonocytic-leukemia/treatment/treatment-outcomes

[4] Anthony Nolan. Haploidentical stem cell transplants. https://www.anthonynolan.org/patients-and-families/understanding-stem-cell-transplants/haploidentical-stem-cell-transplants

[5] The Project (2024). Baby Girl’s Stem Cells Save Big Brother’s Life. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHwWgqEu_Hs


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A 25-year-old woman from China is the first in the world to have been cured from type 1 diabetes, following an injection of islet cells derived from her own reprogrammed stem cells.

The study, published in the Cell journal, offers real hope to the millions of people worldwide suffering from this disease.

What is type 1 diabetes?

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s own immune system to mistakenly attack and destroy insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.[1]

Insulin is a hormone which moves glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into cells, where it is used for energy, and also helps store any extra glucose.[2]

Without insulin, glucose instead accumulates in the blood, causing a host of severe complications including vision loss, nerve damage, kidney failure, and non-healing ulcers that lead to lower limb amputations.[3]

This means people suffering from type 1 diabetes are dependent on external sources of insulin (through injections or a pump), and have to track and manage their blood sugar levels carefully.

How was the cure developed?

A team at Peking University, Beijing, China, extracted cells from three patients with type 1 diabetes and reverted them to a pluripotent state, from which they could be converted to different cell types in the body. These induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) were then used to generate clusters of islet cells, which would then be transplanted back into the patients.

Two and a half months later, the first patient to receive the transplant was producing enough insulin to no longer need external injections; she has remained insulin independent since, for more than a year.

Deng Hongkui, the lead scientist in the study, states the results for the other two patients in the study are also very positive. Those patients would have reached the one-year mark in November; it is hoped that when the results are published the trial could be expanded to more patients.[4]

Why is this trial important?

Islet cell transplantation can be an effective treatment for diabetes. In the past, this has relied on islet cells collected from organ donors, which are not sufficient to meet growing demand and require transplant recipients to use immune-suppressant medication to prevent transplant rejection.

A novel therapy developed by Vertex, currently undergoing clinical trials, aims to solve that issue by deriving islet cells from stem cells; however, this therapy also uses donated stem cells as a source, and thus requires the use of immune-suppressant medication.

It is hoped that the use of autologous (own) stem cells will remove the need for this medication. Since the patient studied was already on immune-suppressants due to a liver transplant, this is not a certainty; because type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, there is still a risk that the immune system could attack the newly-transplanted islets regardless. However, Deng and his team aim to develop islet cells that can entirely evade the immune response.

The importance of banking stem cells

Although further study is required to evaluate the effectiveness of this therapy, breakthroughs like this highlight the potential of stem cells in the development of treatments for life-altering, chronic conditions such as type 1 diabetes.

By banking your baby’s cord stem cells, you can make sure they can be used for regenerative therapies like this, should your baby them in the future. To find out more about saving these powerful cells for your baby, download your free Welcome Pack by filling in the form below.

References

[1] Diabetes UK (2023). What causes type 1 diabetes? https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/type-1-diabetes/causes

[2] Diabetes UK (2022). What is insulin? https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/looking-after-diabetes/treatments/insulin/what-is-insulin

[3] Diabetes UK (2024). Complications of diabetes. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/complications

[4] Mallapaty, S. (2024). Stem cells reverse woman’s diabetes — a world first. Nature. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03129-3


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After a nick caused by a small shard of glass went unnoticed, Canadian Ron Williams developed a deep, infected wound spanning from the heel to the middle of his foot.

Even after six months of hospital treatment, the wound wouldn’t heal; if the infection had persisted, his leg would have needed to be amputated.

Now, thanks to a pioneering wound-care program involving the application of amniotic membrane from donated placentas, there is barely a scar left[1].

What is the amniotic membrane?

The amniotic membrane, also known as the amnion, is the inner layer of the amniotic sac, which holds the amniotic fluid and protects baby as they grow and develop during pregnancy.

Although it is normally discarded as waste after birth, along with the placenta and the rest of the amniotic sac, the amnion has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-scarring properties[2]; its wound-healing powers were first documented over 100 years ago[1]. It is used in a variety of medical specialisations, including ophthalmology (eye care), wound and burn care, gynaecology and surgery[3]; research suggests it could have properties stimulating tissue regeneration, showing potential for use in regenerative medicine[2].

What does the wound healing treatment entail?

A layer of amnion is applied to the wound, then dressed and left undisturbed; the procedure is repeated once a week until the wound has completely healed. In Mr Williams’ case, the wound healed almost 60% in the first week, and fully closed after five.

Dr Balram Sukhu, director of Mount Sinai Allograft Technologies, which runs the amniotic membrane program at Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto, Canada, says treatment has been provided to more than 80 patients, and has resulted in wound closure in all cases.[1]

Why is this kind of treatment not more widely used?

Dr Mark Jeschke, medical director of the burn program at Hamilton Health Sciences, a hospital network in Canada, says the challenges in bringing this treatment to wider availability lie in the process required to obtain amnion grafts[1]. In Canada, amnion grafts are made from placentas donated by mothers undergoing elective C-section; this is also the case in the UK, where only two hospitals are set up to take donations[4]. While NHS Blood and Transplant provides amniotic membrane grafts for ophthalmic surgery[5], amnion dressings for chronic wound treatment could be harder to come by, and can be pricy, with a NICE document estimating the cost at around £1,000 for a 2x3cm graft[6].

Can you save your placenta?

The alternative to placenta donation is private placenta storage, meaning your placenta, including the amnion, is stored in a private bank so that it can be available for you or your child’s future use, should it be needed.

This is typically done as part of cord blood banking, storing the powerful stem cells from your baby’s cord blood along with cord tissue and the placenta. These cells and tissues are being investigated in numerous clinical trials for their potential in treating a wide variety of injuries and diseases.

If you’d like to find out more about private banking for your baby, fill in the form below to receive your free welcome pack, full of all the details you need to make an informed decision.

References

[1] Alberga, H. (2024). Placenta tissue saved this man’s leg from amputation. How can more people benefit? CTVNews. https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/placenta-tissue-saved-this-man-s-leg-from-amputation-how-can-more-people-benefit-1.7142795

[2] Cleveland Clinic (2024). Amniotic Membrane: Anatomy, Function & Conditions. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/amniotic-membrane

[3] Munoz-Torres, J.R., et al. (2023). Biological properties and surgical applications of the human amniotic membrane. 10. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.1067480.

[4] NHS Blood and Transplant. (2025). Living amniotic membrane/placenta donation programme. https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/what-we-do/transplantation-services/tissue-and-eye-services/tissue-donation/become-a-donor/living-amniotic-membraneplacenta-donation-programme/

[5] Tissue and Eye Services – NHS Blood and Transplant. (2025). Amniotic membrane. https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/tissue-and-eye-services/products/eyes/amniotic-membrane/

[6] National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018.) EpiFix for chronic wounds. https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib139/chapter/Summary


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A new study on the effectiveness of treatment for spinal cord injuries indicates that a combination therapy, including epidural electrical stimulation (EES) as well as neural stem cells and umbilical cord stem cells, could offer better results than any one treatment on its own.

What is spinal cord injury?

Spinal cord injury is a debilitating, disabling neurological condition resulting from damage to the spinal cord, or to the nerves at the end of the spinal canal. This is most frequently caused by traumatic occurrences such as vehicle accidents, falls, sport injuries or violence, but may also be caused by tumours, infections or degenerative conditions.

Spinal cord injury causes partial or complete loss of sensation and function below the level of the injury, commonly resulting in paralysis (paraplegia or quadriplegia), loss of bladder and bowel control, and breathing issues.[1]

What therapies are currently available?

At present, there are no known therapies that would reverse the initial injury and return an injured spinal cord to full function.[2] Current treatments for spinal cord injury focus on limiting what is called the secondary injury cascade, ideally preventing further damage and thus further loss of feeling and motor function.[3] These methods include surgery, medication, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and assistive devices such as braces or wheelchairs.

What is epidural electrical stimulation for spinal cord injury?

In epidural electrical stimulation, an array of electrodes is implanted along the spinal cord through a surgical procedure called a laminectomy. The stimulation provided by the electrical pulses generated by these electrodes could help in the recovery of functionality following spinal cord injury, improving patients’ ability to walk and stand as well as aiding with bladder and bowel control.[3] [4]

How could stem cells help?

By leveraging the regenerative properties of stem cells, it is hoped that a stem cell treatment could repair and regenerate damaged spinal cord tissue.

This could mean protecting what neurons remain intact, repairing the protective myelin sheath on damaged ones, thus restoring their ability to conduct nerve signals, and replacing lost ones. Stem cells also have the ability to modulate the body’s immune response, and could reduce inflammation and mitigate the secondary damage that follows the initial injury.[5]

There are currently several clinical trials studying the application of stem cells for spinal cord injury. Although more research is needed, results so far are promising, including the high-profile case study of a man who has regained the ability to walk.[6]

What has the new study found?

Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, set out to test the effectiveness of a therapy combining both epidural electrical stimulation and stem cell injections, using a mouse model of spinal cord injury.[7]

The study involved four different groups of mice: a group which was treated with EES alone, a group which was treated with a mix of mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) as well as human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs), a group which received both treatments and a control group in which the spinal cord injury was left untreated. The mice in all groups were monitored and assessed for a period of two months.

Following the injury, all mice had complete loss of function in their hind limbs; a week post-injury, mice in the treatment groups underwent their respective treatments. At the end of the monitoring period, mice in the control group were still unable to support themselves on their hind limbs. Conversely, some mice in the EES group were able to achieve paw standing; mice in the hUCMSC group also achieved this milestone, in a more frequent and sustained manner. Mice in the combined treatment group not only achieved paw standing, but also showed improved motor coordination. Swimming and gait analysis tests corroborated these findings, with the hUCMSC group doing better than the EES group, both doing better than the control and the combined treatment group doing best of all.

What’s next?

Both EES and stem cell transplants are currently the subject of clinical trials to test their effectiveness in the treatment of spinal cord injury. As the new study shows, it is entirely possible that the best treatment will be a combination of both, but more research is required on each individual treatment before the combination therapy can be tested in humans.

What is undeniable is that the number of studies and clinical trials examining the regenerative power of stem cells and their potential for treating currently incurable diseases and injuries continues to grow.

To find out more about what stem cells could do, and how you could preserve a rich source of them for your baby so that they could gain access to future regenerative treatments, fill in the form below to request your free welcome pack.

References

[1] University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. (2023). Spinal cord injury. https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/sussex-trauma-network/rehabilitation/conditions/spinal-cord-injury/

[2] NIH (2016). What are the treatments for spinal cord injury (SCI)? https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/spinalinjury/conditioninfo/treatments

[3] Dorrian, R.M., Berryman, C.F., Lauto, A. and Leonard, A.V. (2023). Electrical stimulation for the treatment of spinal cord injuries: A review of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive functional improvements. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 17. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2023.1095259

[4] Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. (2024). New research offers quality of life hope for many paralysed after spinal cord injuries. https://www.rnoh.nhs.uk/news/new-research-offers-quality-life-hope-many-paralysed-after-spinal-cord-injuries

[5] Zeng, C.-W. (2023). Advancing Spinal Cord Injury Treatment through Stem Cell Therapy: A Comprehensive Review of Cell Types, Challenges, and Emerging Technologies in Regenerative Medicine. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(18), p.14349. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241814349

[6] Stem Cells Help Injured Surfer to Walk Again.

[7] Mu, Z., Qin, J., Zhou, X. et al. (2024.) Synergistic effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells/neural stem cells and epidural electrical stimulation on spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Sci Rep 14, 26090. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75754-x


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England flanker Tom Curry is undergoing stem cell therapy as a follow-up to last year’s career-saving surgery.[1]

Suffering from chronic hip pain and reduced range of motion, Curry was diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, where the ball of the hip joint is abnormally shaped, causing uneven wear and tear in the joint resulting in cartilage and bone damage.[2][3]

In Curry’s case, there was what was defined as an arthritic change within the hip[4] – labrum and cartilage tears, as well as abnormal bone growth. This was corrected in a six-hour surgery, which reshaped the ball of his hip and repaired the labrum and cartilage via a stem cell transplant.[2]

To fix the tears in Curry’s cartilage, leading hip surgeon Damian Griffin placed a synthetic cartilage graft in the joint and applied stem cells taken from Curry’s bone marrow to it to grow a new surface within the joint.[5] The procedure is performed arthroscopically (keyhole surgery), and it has a much shorter recovery time and carries less risk than surgeries involving metal implants, such as a hip resurfacing, where metal surfaces are used to cover the joint,[6] or a complete hip replacement.[7]

Now, Curry is undergoing another stem cell therapy in a bid to make it to the 2027 Rugby World Cup without needing more surgery.[1] There are fewer details available about this therapy, but it has been stated to be a stem cell injection in his hip to help bone growth.

How can stem cells help with injury recovery? 

Stem cells possess remarkable regenerative potential, which therapies and procedures like those Curry is undergoing take advantage of. The cells that make up bone and cartilage typically derive from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which, in addition to their ability to turn into a variety of specialised cell types, also have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes them ideal to help repair damaged tissue, particularly cartilage, which has very limited regenerative capacity of its own.

Curry is far from the only elite athlete to turn to stem cells to get back to form. Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo used stem cell therapies to successfully address knee problems[8], while tennis great Rafael Nadal treated both chronic knee issues and a long-standing back complaint[8][9]. Boxing legend Mike Tyson also had stem cell therapy.[8]

To find out more about the regenerative power of stem cells, and how your baby’s umbilical cord stem cells could safeguard their health for life, simply fill in the form below to request a free information pack.

References

[1] Jones, C. (2024). Tom Curry: England flanker has stem-cell therapy in bid to make 2027 World Cup. BBC Sport.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cy47vynl1pvo

[2] Stasko, N. (2024). Tom Curry’s ‘Spectacular’ Comeback After Hip Surgery At HSSH. Harley Street Specialist Hospital.  https://hssh.health/blog/tom-currys-spectacular-comeback-after-hip-surgery-at-hssh/

[3] Aaos.org. (2015). Femoroacetabular Impingement – OrthoInfo – AAOS. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/femoroacetabular-impingement

[4] Tom Curry: Sale and England flanker says hip damage ‘a car crash’ but surgery a ‘success’. (2024). BBC Sport. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/68288821

[5] Wright, J. (2024). Tom Curry had to have hip ‘stitched back together’ after ‘extensive damage’ done, surgeon reveals. Planet Rugby. https://www.planetrugby.com/news/tom-curry-had-to-have-hip-stitched-back-together-after-extensive-damage-done-surgeon-reveals

[6] Royal Orthopaedic Hospital – Birmingham Hip Resurfacing. https://roh.nhs.uk/services-information/hips/birmingham-hip-resurfacing

[7] NHS (2024). What is a hip replacement? nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hip-replacement/what-is-a-hip-replacement/

[8] The Sun. (2020). Tyson, Ronaldo, Nadal and more sports stars who swear by stem cell treatment. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/11648461/stem-cell-treatment-tyson-ronaldo/

[9] Associated Press. (2014). Rafael Nadal to have stem cell treatment on injured back, says doctor. The Guardian.  https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/10/rafael-nadal-stem-cell-treatment-back


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Today marks World Cord Blood Day—a day dedicated to highlighting the medical breakthrough that began 36 years ago, in 1988, with a single transplant. That cord blood transplant opened the door to a new era in medicine. Since then, stem cells from cord blood have transformed countless lives, offering hope to those battling over 80 serious diseases including leukaemia, sickle cell anaemia, lymphoma, and more.

Once dismissed as medical waste, cord blood’s potential to heal is becoming more and more recognised, with over 60,000 transplants since 1988. Today, stem cells are the key players in regenerative medicine, studied in thousands of labs and clinical trials around the world. Scientists are exploring their potential to treat conditions as varied as bone fractures, spinal cord injuries, arthritis, and even Crohn’s disease.

Yet, despite this remarkable potential, too often cord blood is still discarded after birth, lost forever. This is why World Cord Blood Day was created: to shine a light on the therapeutic power of cord blood and to encourage more families to preserve this incredible resource for the future.

As research has continued though, it is no longer just cord blood that holds such promise, but also the cord tissue and placental stem cells which hold immense potential in regenerative medicine.

Cord blood news 

A lot has happened in the cord blood field since last year. Here are some news you may want to catch up on if you’ve missed them…

How can I bank my baby’s cord blood?

If you want to save this precious resource rather than having it thrown away, both public and private banking are available options.

Public banking means the cord blood stem cells are stored in a cord bank that makes them accessible to anyone who might need them. The NHS public cord bank accepts donations if you are giving birth at one of three hospitals; the Anthony Nolan charity public cord bank accepts donations from a further five hospitals.

Alternatively, you can choose to bank your baby’s cord blood privately, storing the stem cells solely for your family’s own use. They will be ready and waiting should your baby ever need them for treatment, and could be useful for family members, too – there is a 25% chance they would be an exact match for a sibling, or 75% chance of a partial match. They are also a guaranteed partial match for parents.

Everything about our services has been tailored to provide the maximum potential benefit to parents who store their baby’s stem cells with us, such as our advanced processing technology that retains up to three times more stem cells than industry-standard processing methods, meaning full compatibility with delayed and optimal cord clamping. We are also the only UK cord blood bank to offer placenta and amnion storage.

To learn more about cord blood banking and why most UK parents choose to store with us, simply fill in the form below for a free welcome pack.


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A recent study published in the Lancet journal has shown that stem cells have been used to bring about significant improvements in vision in what’s being heralded as a world first.

The stem cell treatment focused on the repair of the cornea which becomes damaged in limbal stem-cell deficiency (LSCD), a disease that can lead to blindness.

It’s hoped that these findings could have a huge impact on how those with the disease are treated and that it could underpin future therapy options for those suffering from sight loss. [1]

What is LSCD? 

Limbal stem-cell deficiency (or LSCD) is a disease characterised by the loss or deficiency of stem cells in the limbus, the border between the cornea and the sclera. These stem cells are crucial to the maintenance and repair of the limbus, in addition to ensuring the continuation of its barrier function.

Problems with limbal stem cells can lead to the epithelial breakdown of the cornea resulting in inflammation, scarring and potential vision loss.

LSCD has a variety of causes ranging from genetics to acquired causes like inflammation, infection, and trauma and injury. Management of the disease differs depending on the stage of its progression.

At the early stage, managing symptoms can be sufficient to alleviate its impact on quality of life. However, more progressed instances of LSCD require surgery which usually means transplants from key parts of donor eyes. [2]

What did the stem cell study involve?

The study focused on four patients, two men and two women, aged between 39 and 72 who had all been diagnosed with LCSD in both eyes.

Researchers then derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from donated cord blood and used to fabricate corneal epithelial stem-progenitor cells. These were then cultured and transformed into a thin sheet, iPSC-derived corneal epithelial cell sheets (iCEPS).

After removing a layer of scar tissue covering the cornea in one eye in each of the patients, the iCEPS sheet was transplanted on top and covered with a contact lens to protect the graft.

Patients were then monitored continuously to determine safety outcomes for a period of two years. [3]

What were the results of the stem cell study?

Throughout the whole of the two year safety observation period no serious adverse events occurred. The transplant was accepted by the patients without rejection and without tumour formation. In fact, researchers reported that two of the patients even forwent immunosuppressant drugs.

Following the transplant, all four patients saw immediate improvements in their vision during the first year and three out of four patients experienced sustained improvements in their vision and quality of life beyond one year.

These results are hugely encouraging and the research team, based at Osaka University in Japan, hope to move to a larger scale clinical trial to verify their promising findings. [4]

What does this mean for cord blood banking?

As the results of this trial show, stem cells have huge regenerative potential and are at the forefront of medicine, with researchers still coming to terms with the breadth of their applications.

While this study focused on the use of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from cord blood, other types of stem cells can be found in the umbilical cord and placenta, such as haematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, that similarly have enormous potential in the field of regenerative medicine.

Unfortunately, the umbilical cord and placenta are often regarded as mere medical waste, meaning that these stem cells get thrown away. But by storing these stem cells in a process called cord blood banking, you can ensure that your baby always has their own stem cells available for use in future therapies.

If you or someone you know is expecting and wants to know more about the power of stem cells and how they can be stored for future use, fill out the form below to request a free Welcome Pack.

References

[1] Soma, Takeshi et al. (2024). ‘Induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived corneal epithelium for transplant surgery: a single-arm, open-label, first-in-human interventional study in Japan’. The Lancet. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01764-1. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01764-1

[2] Karakus, S. (2024, August 2). Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency. American Academy of Opthalmology. https://eyewiki.org/Limbal_Stem_Cell_Deficiency

[3] Mallapaty, S. (2024, November 8). World-first stem-cell treatment restores vision in people. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03656-z

[4] Mahindra, A. S. (2024, November 10). Biggest Blindness Breakthrough: Japan Performs World’s First Stem Cell-treatment To Restore Vision. Times Now. https://www.timesnownews.com/health/biggest-blindness-breakthrough-japan-performs-worlds-first-stem-cell-treatment-to-restore-vision-article-115144553


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A recent story published by The New York Times has highlighted the life-changing potential placenta holds for the treatment of severe burns and wounds.

The story follows Marcella Townsend, who was left unrecognisable by second and third degree burns she suffered after a propane explosion at her mother’s house in Georgia.

With few treatment options available, Marcella underwent a radical, cutting-edge procedure: a human placenta graft.

Incredibly, Marcella’s face now looks nearly identical to how it did before the explosion. [1]

What is a human placenta graft?

A placenta graft involves the application of amniotic membrane – the thin, translucent inner part of the placenta surrounding the foetus in the womb – to an area affected by burns, wounds, or injuries.

Unlike skin grafts using animals or cadavers, placental tissue doesn’t trigger the immune system, meaning it isn’t rejected by the body – a byproduct of the immunological privilege it has between mother and child during pregnancy.

It also stimulates rapid cell regrowth, which can help the body heal with minimal scarring. [2]

What makes the placenta so special?

The placenta provides crucial nutrients and protection to babies during pregnancy, and is filled with proteins and growth factors that make it extremely useful for healing injuries. [3]

Since the early 20th century, the amniotic membrane from placentas has been used in topical treatments for burns, wounds, and ulcers. It’s even been used to treat eye conditions. [4]

And yet, despite their potential, most placentas are discarded as medical waste.

Today in the U.S. only publicly stored donated placentas from elective C-sections are used. [1]

There are also limitations on how they can be used. For instance, amniotic membrane grafts are only sanctioned so long as there is minimal manipulation, meaning that their application is contained to internal and external bandages, along with cases of chronic wounds that take longer than usual to heal, or don’t heal at all.

In the latter context, a placenta graft again proved to be life-changing.

As cited by The New York Times, an 83 year old woman had an infected, chronic wound on her leg that wouldn’t heal after surgery. Having exhausted treatment options – including the use of larvae to eat the infected areas – doctors turned to placenta-derived skin grafts to close the wound.

The woman’s leg healed completely.

While the medical potential of the placenta seems boundless – they have been found to heal burns, wounds, and even restore vision in some cases – their lack of availability, along with the cost of associated procedures, means they remain vastly underused in the medical field. [1]

Why aren’t placentas more widely used?

While it’s clear that placentas have huge potential in a wide range of medical contexts, current therapeutic applications don’t come cheap. It is estimated that the cost of a placental graft ranges between $200 and $3,000 per square centimetre of amniotic membrane in the U.S. [1]

In the UK, amniotic membrane grafts are similarly pricey, with a document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) showing a 2cm x 3cm graft costing around £1,000 for a single use. [5]

With the street worth of placentas estimated to be around $50,000 – a figure that’s expected to double or even triple over the course of the next decade [6] – it’s no wonder some mothers are looking to privately store their own placentas.

What is private placenta storage?

Private placenta storage is the process by which mothers can choose to store their placenta so that it’s available for their child to use in future therapies, should they need it.

There are hundreds of clinical trials ongoing that are exploring the uses of placenta in treatments for conditions ranging from stroke to diabetes, Crohn’s and osteoarthritis. By saving the placenta, the powerful cells and growth hormones it contains are preserved for future use. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Private placenta storage can be considered to be part of what’s known as cord blood banking – the process by which the perinatal cells and tissues that naturally occur in the umbilical cord and placenta are cryogenically frozen.

Some of these perinatal cells are otherwise known as stem cells, and have many therapeutic benefits. Some are even being used today in over 80 approved treatments.

Saving the umbilical cord and placenta for your baby gives them the best chance to access future therapies using stem cells and other perinatal cells and tissues.

This is because cells from the umbilical cord and placenta are baby’s own perfect match, meaning the risk of rejection in a procedure like a transplant is minimal.

For people like Marcella Townsend, the life-changing potential of the placenta is clear. By storing for your baby, you could ensure that they too have access to future therapies utilising the power of the placenta.

References

[1] Morgan, K. (2024, October 8). Her Face Was Unrecognizable After an Explosion. A Placenta Restored It. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/well/placenta-donations-burns-wounds.html

[2] Glat, Paul MD et al. Placental Membrane Provides Improved Healing Efficacy and Lower Cost Versus a Tissue-Engineered Human Skin in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcerations. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open 7(8):p e2371, August 2019. | DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002371 

[3] Protzman NM, Mao Y, Long D, Sivalenka R, Gosiewska A, Hariri RJ, Brigido SA. Placental-Derived Biomaterials and Their Application to Wound Healing: A Review. Bioengineering. 2023; 10(7):829. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10070829

[4] Schmiedova I, Dembickaja A, Kiselakova L, Nowakova B, Slama P. Using of Amniotic Membrane Derivatives for the Treatment of Chronic Wounds. Membranes (Basel). 2021 Nov 29;11(12):941. doi: 10.3390/membranes11120941. PMID: 34940442; PMCID: PMC8706466.

[5] (2018, January 30). EpiFix for chronic wounds. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib139

[6] Schweizer, R. (2019, March). What is your Placenta Worth? Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Banking Foundation. https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/what-is-your-placenta-worth

[7] Mansoureh Barzegar et al. Human Placenta Mesenchymal Stem Cell Protection in Ischemic Stroke is Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 and Masr Receptor-Dependent, Stem Cells, Volume 39, Issue 10, October 2021, Pages 1335–1348, https://doi.org/10.1002/stem.3426

[8] Kadam, S., Muthyala, S., Nair, P., & Bhonde, R. (2010). Human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells and islet-like cell clusters generated from these cells as a novel source for stem cell therapy in diabetes. The review of diabetic studies : RDS, 7(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1900/RDS.2010.7.168

[9] Mayer L, et al. Safety and tolerability of human placenta-derived cells (PDA001) in treatment-resistant crohn’s disease: a phase 1 study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013 Mar-Apr;19(4):754-60. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0b013e31827f27df. PMID: 23429460; PMCID: PMC4272923.

[10] Gwam C, Ohanele C, Hamby J, Chughtai N, Mufti Z, Ma X. Human placental extract: a potential therapeutic in treating osteoarthritis. Ann Transl Med. 2023 Jun 30;11(9):322. doi: 10.21037/atm.2019.10.20. Epub 2019 Oct 16. PMID: 37404996; PMCID: PMC10316113.


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The results reported from Phase II of the first FDA-approved trial for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) using stem cells are highly promising, suggesting that stem cells could be a viable treatment option to help improve the lives of those with the condition. [1]

What is the MS trial?

The Phase II trial, which was carried out by The Tisch MS Research Center of New York, constitutes the next stage in the development of the groundbreaking research signalled by the results from Phase I, the first FDA-approved trial to explore the injection of stem cells for MS.

The Phase II trial involved 54 patients split between a test group and a control group in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Members of each group received 6 injections of either autologous (meaning their own) mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural progenitors (MSC-NPs) or saline placebo every two months.

These injections were administered into the cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis patients.

The study utilised a cross-over model by which patients who received the stem cell injections in year 1 were then given the saline placebo in year 2 and vice versa.

How does the stem cell treatment work?

Building on their findings from Phase I, researchers identified MSC-NPs for the treatment having ascertained that they promote tissue regeneration and immunomodulatory effects, in addition to being safe and well tolerated. [2]

MSC-NPs are a subpopulation of mesenchymal stem cells that can upregulate growth factors like hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and minimise ectopic differentiation – essentially, the abnormal differentiation of cells.

By injecting them into the cerebrospinal fluid – a process called intrathecal (IE) injection – researchers found in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE – an accepted way of modelling the effects of MS) mouse model that MSC-NPs were associated with increased spinal cord myelination, neurological recovery and reduced immune infiltration into the central nervous system. [3]

What were the results?

The results of the Phase II trial demonstrated huge promise for the use of stem cells in treating MS.

Patients requiring walking assistance saw significant improvements in both a timed 25-foot walk test and a 6 minute walking test than those in the control group.

Additionally, treatment recipients demonstrated improved bladder function, with 69% showing improvements in post-void residual volume.

Amongst the other findings were indicators that these stem cells could be helping to restore neuronal cells and reverse cognitive decline in patients with less advanced disease progression.

Furthermore, the stem cell treatment occasioned notable biomarker changes in cerebro-spinal fluid, especially with regards to the decreased levels of CCL2, a protein associated with inflammation, and the increased levels of MMP9, an indicator of the increased presence of reparative cells. [4]

Overall these findings are extremely promising, indicating that stem cells could be used in future treatments that may help to reverse many of the most debilitating aspects of multiple sclerosis, like disability.

The next stage in the study will be for researchers to investigate the effects of increasing the stem cell dosage.

What does this mean for cord blood banking?

This trial is just the latest example of the regenerative potential stem cells have to help treat life-changing conditions like MS.

As exemplified by this study, mesenchymal stem cells in particular, with their immunomodulatory and tissue repair properties, are especially promising.

Incredibly, the umbilical cord and placenta are one of the richest sources of these stem cells, but are routinely thrown away after birth.

By saving these for your baby, you could be giving them the key to future therapies for everything from cancer and stroke to diabetes and heart disease.

The potential offered by stem cells is vast, but you only get one chance to save baby’s stem cells, and that’s the day they’re born.

To find out more about cord blood banking and how it could protect your family’s health, fill out the form below to request a free Welcome Pack.

References

[1] FDA-Approved Phase II Stem Cell Treatment Trial Shows Significant and Diverse Improvements for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Patients. Tisch MS Research Centre of New York. https://www.tischms.org/phase-ii-analysis-results

[2] Harris, Violaine K. et al. (2018) Phase I Trial of Intrathecal Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Neural Progenitors in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. eBioMedicine, Volume 29, 23 – 30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.02.002

[3] Harris, Violaine K. et al. (2012) Clinical and pathological effects of intrathecal injection of mesenchymal stem cell-derived neural progenitors in an experimental model of multiple sclerosis. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Volume 313, Issue 1, 167 – 177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jns.2011.08.036

[4] Harris, V.K., Stark, J., Williams, A. et al. (2024) Efficacy of intrathecal mesenchymal stem cell-neural progenitor therapy in progressive MS: results from a phase II, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Stem Cell Res Ther 15, 151 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-024-03765-6