Stem cell research has gained unprecedented importance lately owing to their enormous therapeutic potential.

Stem cells are not only capable of multiplying into various cell types but also tend to carry out impressive repair work in several tissues of the body. And how are they different from other cell types? Well, they are different in the sense that these cells – known as unspecialized cells – are able to renew themselves through a process called cell division. In certain organs such as the bone marrow or the gut damaged or tattered tissues constantly get replaced thanks to stem cell activity. In some organs like the pancreas and heart, stem cells replenish only under certain conditions.

To be sure, stem cell research commenced about 30 years ago, 1981, to be precise. Scientists became interested in studying and culturing primitive cells from a mouse’s embryo that was five days old. They realized that these cells divided themselves without differentiating for a long time. It took painstaking and dedicated research on the part of scientists for the next 17 years to grow human-derived embryonic stem cells in the laboratory.

Stem cell research has become important in recent years owing to the regenerative skills that stem cells are now known to be equipped with. This has opened up exciting stem cell research possibilities. Lately, an organization called Cancer Research UK along with its commercial branch, Cancer Research Technology (CRT), has brought together a group of stem cell specialists to perform clinical trials with regard to detecting, monitoring and treating various cancers including that of the breast, head, neck, and prostrate.

In a hospital in New Delhi in January 2011, doctors injected stem cells into a young boy suffering from cerebral palsy. These stem cells were derived from the cord blood stored during the boy’s birth with Cryobanks International India.
It is a move highly recommended by those who wish to save a life or improve the quality of life.

Contact us to know more about stem cell banking.

Childbirth is a time to rejoice. Today doctors and researchers too, look forward to the birthing event with much anticipation. Reason? They are looking to store the umbilical cord blood that is left in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth has occurred. And why is this cord blood so important? That’s because it contains stem cells as well as ‘hematopoietic’ cells from which cellular blood components are derived. Scientists store these cells with great care as they are useful for the treatment of genetic as well as hematopoietic conditions.

Stem cells, that are known to renew themselves, are being increasingly viewed with interest by researchers for their therapeutic value. Any stem cell researcher will tell you, however, that umbilical cord blood stem cells are barely enough to cover the treatment of one adult patient. The placenta is a far richer source of blood stem cells.

So far, stem cells were being in the seen in the context of curing cancers as well as genetic disorders of the blood. But of late blood stem cells have caught the attention of cardiac and brain specialists as well. These cells can be used to treat brain injuries and have also shown great promise with regard to cardiovascular repair in pre-clinical animal trials. Scientists studying animals with myocardial infarction have been deeply excited to learn about the ability of stem cells to move discerningly towards damaged cardiac tissues.

Let it also be known that newborn babies and their placentas are not the only sources of stem cells. An adult man suffering from diabetes in Haryana (India) was saved the loss of his gangrene-riddled leg when stem cells from his bone marrow were used to generate fresh blood vessels in his leg. This ushers in hope for patients with paraplegia and other serious disorders.

Contact us to know more about stem cell banking.