Stem Cell Advisor

Blood stem cell transplantation is a radical but highly effective therapy for multiple sclerosis. A study led by the University of Zurich has now examined in detail the way in which the treatment curbs the autoimmune disease and how the immune system regenerates afterwards. A better understanding of these mechanisms should help the treatment approach, currently approved in only a few countries, to gain wider acceptance. Every day, one person in Switzerland is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the myelin sheath of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The disease leads to paralysis, pain and permanent fatigue, among other symptoms. Fortunately, there have been great advances in therapies in recent decades. A study by the Department of Neuro-immunology and MS Research at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the Department of Medical Oncology and Haematology Clinic at the University Hospital Z...

Diseases treated with cord blood can be divided into 2 categories: Proven Standard Therapies Therapies in Clinical Trials Before choosing the right form of cord blood banking it is also important to distinguish between two modes of treatment: Allogeneic - patient receives stem cells from a matching donor, either a sibling or an unrelated donor Autologous - patient receives their own stem cells When parents donate cord blood to a public bank, they are supporting patients around the world who are searching for an unrelated Allogeneic donor. When parents save cord blood in a family bank, they are reserving the options that the baby can use its own stem cells for an Autologous treatment, or an immediate relative (sibling or parents) can use the stem cells for an Allogeneic treatment. Standard Therapies with blood-forming stem cells These are diseases for which transplants of blood-forming stem cells (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants, HSCT) are a standard treatment. F...