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Role of iPS Cells
The development of new therapies to treat different diseases always goes through stages of promise and problems.
There are generally high expectations as the first bits of data appear. These studies are usually followed by new studies that have built upon the initial ones, and start to reveal the limitations of the therapy.
Cord Blood Stem Cells and Brain Injury
There are some very promising studies showing that umbilical cord blood has the ability to reverse brain damage. The exact mechanism is not known and that is why important research on umbilical cord blood stem cells and brain injury is going on at a number of different centers.
Related Vs. Un-Related Cord Blood Donor Selection
The key is identifying a donor quickly and a related sample is preferred.
Matching a donor to a patient in cases of bone marrow transplantation is a complex process that is dependent on many factors, including the disease being treated and the stage of the disease. Increased survival rates have been correlated with early treatments. Therefore it is VERY important to identify a donor quickly.
Cerebral Palsy Update
Well it appears as though there have been developments in the use of cord blood to treat cerebral palsy, or CP. Since January 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved 2 different clinical trials to investigate the effect of cord blood in patients with CP. CP is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is most often caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, usually before or during birth, that results in damage to the portion of the brain that controls muscle tone.
University of South Florida to Brain Injuries with Cord Blood Therapy
The Neurosurgery and Brain Repair Department at the University of South Florida has obtained a patent for a new procedure that uses cord blood to treat neurodegenerative conditions and diseases. Using cord blood combined with mannitol, the technology can help to treat diseases that cause brain functions to deteriorate, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, strokes and Alzheimer’s.
The new procedure has been licensed by Saneron CCEL Therapeutics Inc, a research and development firm specializing in biotechnology.
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Welcome to the pivotal period of your life. This is the last few weeks to enjoy the remnants of any minimalist lifestyle you had. Yep, that space that was your office or the spare room where you could get lost in your own thoughts will soon be no more. Instead you will need to create the nursery. With the following task-list in hand you have plans to create that “little haven of peace and tranquility” for the new baby.
Gift of Life Launches Social Media Campaign
Gift of Life is a bone marrow foundation that facilitates bone marrow and cord blood transplants for those who are suffering from a wide variety of life-threatening diseases like leukemia and lymphoma. Over 160 000 donors are currently in the foundation’s database, but Gift of Life wants even more. Its goal is to have 30 000 new donors in the registry, in order to increase the volume of small contributions and the number of overall potential donors.
Cord Blood Used To Treat 12-Year-Old With Hurler
Maddy Wigglesworth was diagnosed with the deadly Hurler’s disease when she was just a toddler. Her mother did not expect the young child to live to see her 10th birthday but today, she is 12-years-old and living a normal life, thanks to a cord blood transplant.
So how long can you store cord blood?
That is a question we frequently get asked and it is a great question! If an expectant parent is considering banking their child’s cord blood then they should feel confident that if, and when, they need to use that cord blood, it will be a healthy and useful sample.
Theoretically, cryogenic scientists have estimated that living cells stored in liquid nitrogen could survive for centuries. Obviously, however, this has not yet been tested with real cells!
The Value of a Direct Drive Medical Courier
Insception Lifebank’s aim to ensure availability of cord blood banking to parents across the nation, requires a strong transportation resource. It also requires a partner that understands how precious this cargo is. Our partner First International Courier is just that.
Why use a Direct Drive Medical Courier
Cord Blood Programs and Banks have different philosophies on sample transport and as such each offers different options to prospective clients. Insception Lifebank’s position on transport follows 3 major principles:
1) make it easy for the client
2) ensure timely delivery
3) ensure full traceability
The cord blood is a “one shot” sample collection. If a cord blood sample is lost in transit, there is no option for a second collection.
Cord Blood in Regenerative Medicine – Diabetes Trial
There is a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of cord blood to modulate autoimmune disease. Type 1 diabetes, also referred to as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Dr. Michael Haller, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Florida, is currently conducting a second clinical trial to determine whether autologous cord blood stem cell transfusions can
improve glucose control in children with Type 1 diabetes by restoring immune tolerance.
Application of Cord Blood in Regenerative Medicine – Cerebral Palsy
Cord blood stem cells have been shown to give rise to hematopoietic, epithelial, endothelial and neural tissues both in vitro and in vivo1. As such, the application of cord blood in regenerative medicine is being investigated in a number of diseases including cardiovascular, ophthalmic, orthopaedic, neurological and endocrine diseases.
Exciting time for Dads
For sure it is an exciting time for Mom’s when the first baby is expected. For Dads however we may feel left out a bit – but it sure is fun when we get to choose all the fun stuff. Sure, while my wife decided on nursery themes and paint colours, I got to decide on the Car seats, stroller and of course the toy inventory.
Part 1 – The stroller
Ladies, leave the mechanical to us, we love it. We may even get to talk shop with the guys who build this stuff and assemble axles and wheels and brakes.
Our Commitment – From the CEO
The Insception Lifebank Cord Blood Program has been operating since 1996 when it was started at the Toronto Hospital moving shortly thereafter to Mount Sinai Hospital where it stayed until 2004. Growth in the cord blood program and a shortage of space in Mount Sinai necessitated a move to our current location in Mississauga where we have a state of the art facility. Throughout this period of 15 years our values have become ingrained in our people and our ways of doing things.