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In the rapidly growing field of medical research where breakthroughs are being made on a regular basis,
stem cell transplantation is gaining momentum. There are over 45 (according to some latest research reports
over 50) different diseases related to cancers, immune deficiencies and genetic disorders that are currently
treatable with stem cell therapy.
For patients with certain forms of cancer, specific genetic diseases, and blood disorders, a bone marrow or stem cell
transplant can be a promising avenue of treatment. The goals are improved survival and, in most cases, a cure.
In an autologous transplant, the patient's own stem cells are reinfused into the bloodstream. In an allogeneic
transplant, stem cells from marrow or peripheral blood of another person, who is either a related or unrelated donor,
are given to the patient after preparative treatment for the transplant. In a syngeneic transplant, the donor and the
patient are identical twins. These are basically three types of transplants.
Although there are some ethical concerns and controversies related to stem cell research, but latest findings are
showing us that stem cells may someday change the way certain diseases are treated.
Here is a list of diseases that have included stem cell treatment :
Cancers:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
- Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)
- Burkitt's lymphoma
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
- Juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia (JCML)
- Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML)
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
- Liposarcoma
- Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)
- Refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-t)
- Neuroblastoma
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Refractory Hodgkin's disease
- Retinoblastoma
Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes:
- Severe aplastic anemia
- Blackfan-Diamond anemia
- Dyskeratosis congenita
- Fanconi anemia
- Myelofibrosis
Hemoglobinopathies/Blood Disorders:
- Amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (AMT)
- Evans syndrome
- Kostmann's syndrome
- Sickle cell anemia
- Cooley's anemia
Inborn Errors of Metabolism:
- Adrenoleukodystrophy
- Bare lymphocyte syndrome (MHC-II complex)
- Batten disease (inherited neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis)
- Familial erythrophagocytic/hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
- Gunther disease
- Hunter syndrome
- Hurler syndrome
- Krabbe disease (globoid cell leukodystrophy)
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis
- Lesch-Nyhan disease
- Leukocyte adhesion deficiency
- Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome
- Osteopetrosis
- Tay-Sachs disease
Immunodeficiencies:
- Chronic granulomatous disease
- Common variable immune deficiency (CVID)
- Omenn's syndrome
- Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID and SCID-ADA)
- Reticular dysgenesis
- Thymic dysplasia
- Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
- X-linked lymphoproliferative disease
In addition, cord blood stem cell research is being done for potential future use in the treatment of:
- Stroke
- Certain autoimmune disorders (e.g., diabetes, lupus, multiple sclerosis)
- Heart Disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Neurological disorders (e.g., ALS)
- Muscular/cartilage diseases
More opportunities are being discovered every year but, since each case is different, there is no guarantee that
a cord blood transplant will be an appropriate treatment therapy or that it will provide a cure.
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