The Benefits of Stem Cell Preservation
Stem cell preservation is a medical breakthrough with immense possibilities for mankind. Expectant mothers, in particular, maybe very interested in collecting cord blood, because this blood may be used in the future to cure life-threatening conditions not only for the baby, but also potentially for its siblings and possibly unrelated recipients. There is absolutely no risk involved for the mother and child during cord blood collection for the stem cell preservation process.
In addition to cord blood stem cells being used to treat over 40 different diseases and disorders ranging from blood cancers to immune disorders, stem cells in general are currently being studied, with great success, in treating a myriad of diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, Cerebral Palsy, spinal cord injuries and organ regeneration.
Current estimates indicate that approximately 1 in 3 Americans could benefit from regenerative medicine, and children whose cord blood stem cells are available for their own potential use could be among the first to benefit from new therapies as they become available. With autologous (the person’s own) cells, there is no risk of an immune system rejecting the cells, so physicians and researchers are only performing these potential cord blood therapies on children who have their own stem cells available.1
As a result, it can be inferred that stem cell preservation is a form of insurance and security for your future life, which may potentially be used in the future.
1Harris DT, et al. (2007). “The potential of cord blood stem cells for use in regenerative medicine.”. Expert Opin. Biol. Ther. 7 (9): 1311–1322. doi:10.1517/14712598.7.9.1311. PMID 17727322.
