Umbilical cord blood in a human body is often termed as a medical waste. However, it is also known for its powerful medical potential giving significant attention in medical circles. Now, it is used to treat a wide range of diseases, particularly the ones that affect the immune system, the blood, and even certain genetic conditions. With this potential, cord blood transplant has added a revolution in the healthcare domain adding an important therapeutic choice for many patients suffering from the above ailments. Thus offering a viable alternative when matched bone marrow donors are not available, or other treatments fail. Here we discuss the various diseases that can be treated by umbilical cord translation.
Diseases Treated by Cord Blood Transplantation
With extensive research work in this area, the scope to treat a wide range of diseases using umbilical cord blood is continually expanding. The following are some of the key conditions that benefit from this revolutionary treatment method. Have a look:
- Blood Disorders:
Cord blood is powerful enough to treat a wide range of blood disorders, including myeloma, lymphoma, and leukemia. Umbilical cord blood has hematopoietic stem cells, which help regenerate immune cells and blood cells in patients undergoing treatments like radiation or chemotherapy. It is very advantageous for treating conditions like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and other ailments where the patients need a stem cell transplant only to repair their damaged blood-forming cells.
- Genetic Disorders:
There are several genetic disorders, including sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, which affect red blood cell production and function. Cord blood transplants are effective in treating these conditions with good results by helping the patients regenerate healthy and functioning blood cells. Also, cord blood treats various other types of lysosomal storage ailments, including Hurler syndrome. This is where it helps in replenishing deficient enzymes, which can otherwise have some serious implications.
- Metabolic Disorder:
Cord blood stem cells are extremely useful for metabolic ailments treatment including adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and Krabbe disease. These conditions are rare but can have severe genetic ailments, which result in specific fat failure giving away neurological disorders. The cord blood transplants help in adding healthy stem cells in the human body, which further regenerate the missing enzymes thus preventing or slowing down the diseases.
- Immune Deficiency Disorders:
Cord blood transplants can help patients with immune deficiency ailments. These include treating acute conditions like Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). These disorders make the patients extremely vulnerable to infections as their immune system does not function fully. Thus, it fails to defend against pathogens and avoids promoting overall health.
Why Choose Cord Blood Transplant?
Using cord blood in transplant medicine offers several benefits compared to traditional bone marrow transplants. These cells work effectively in different patients of any tissue type, thus avoiding the matching issues of the bone marrow. With this flexibility, there is no or minimal risk of transplant rejection or issues like graft and host diseases that are common problems with bone marrow transplants. Thus, considering all these benefits, the cord blood transplant remains a more valuable option than the traditional treatment options.
Conclusion
Umbilical cord blood-based procedures have revolutionized modern medicine, giving new hope to patients suffering from several life-threatening ailments. The umbilical cord preservation process also makes valuable cells available for future treatments, thus playing an important role in saving patients' lives from unforeseen health conditions. Cryoviva is one of the oldest umbilical cord preservation centers. Using advanced cryogenic technology, you can have a secure and accessible stem cell source for the future. We emphasize meeting quality and regulatory standards so you can rest assured that all future umbilical cord needs are met.