What makes cord blood special? As we approach World Cord Blood Day on November 17, we look at why umbilical cord blood banking is attracting so much attention.

Since the inception of umbilical cord blood stem cell cryopreservation in the 1990s, the number of public and privately banked units worldwide has grown to more than 800,0001 and 7 million2 respectively.   This new field of medicine has blossomed since the world’s first cord blood transplant took place in 1988, using sibling donor stem […]

Stem cell donation is vital Toddler Arlo Brown was diagnosed with the rare blood cancer myelomonocytic leukaemia in April. Seriously ill, he underwent a stem cell transplant in August. He is still very poorly but according to recent newspaper reports, is showing signs of recovery, although he relies on regular blood transfusions and a tube […]

Cord blood transplants provide an opportunity for a cure from blood cancer with siblings offering the best chance of finding a match September marks Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Every year, more than 2,000 people in the UK with a blood cancer or blood disorder are in need of a potentially lifesaving blood stem cell donation […]

Congratulations on the imminent birth of your second child. How are you all? Thank you. We are all well and a great mix of excited, nervous and curious all in one while we wait for the arrival of the next addition to our household. This time around it is a little girl, so Alexander has a […]

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a hereditary retinal degeneration disease with no effective therapeutic approaches. Inflammatory and immune disorders are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of RP. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs), with multiple biological functions such as anti-inflammation and immunoregulation, have been applied in different systemic diseases. We conducted […]

Results from a study have revealed encouraging results for the improvement of symptoms of autism in young children following treatment with umbilical cord blood. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impairs the way a person communicates and the way they perceive and interact with the world around them. The causes of autism are not yet fully understood but research […]

Perinatal tissue, such as umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord tissue and placental tissue, is a valuable source of cells for advanced cellular therapies. This includes mesenchymal stem/stromal cells and blood cells such as haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC), natural killer cells and T-cells.  Whilst there are currently no approved therapies for umbilical cord tissue […]

July is our favourite time of the year. Why? Because its Cord Blood Awareness Month which aims to raise awareness of the importance of umbilical cord blood and the amazing powers of newborn stem cells. We’ve put together some common questions about umbilical cord blood and saving our newborn baby’s stem cells.  If you’d like […]