Early Research Suggests Umbilical Cord Blood Cell Therapy May Reduce Progression of Alzheimer...( Study Highlights Growing Therapeu...),Health

Study Highlights Growing Therapeutic Value of Cord Blood Stem Cells

OLDSMAR, Fla., March 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Stems cells derived from umbilical cord blood are showing early potential in fighting Alzheimer's disease, according to results from a new preclinical study published in the March issue of Stem Cells and Development. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of South Florida and Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., found that targeted immune suppression using stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood reduced Alzheimer's disease progression in a mouse model. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and incurable brain disease that affects more than five million people in the United States alone. The ongoing research project has been funded in part by Cryo-Cell International, Inc., an industry leader in stem cell innovation and one of the nation's largest and most established family cord blood banks. Additional study sponsors are the National Institutes of Health's STTR grant program, Florida High Tech Corridor Matching grant program, and the Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute."

An abundance of research conducted in the last two decades alone has demonstrated the life-saving potential of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood. In fact, stem cells found in cord blood have been proven to treat more than 70 life-threatening illnesses, including leukemia, neuroblastoma, ischemic brain injury and Type 1 diabetes. Since the first successful cord blood stem cell transplant in 1988, cord blood stem cells have been used in more than 7,000 transplants. Each year, an estimated 12,000 Americans could benefit from a stem cell transplant.

"The scientific community has only skimmed the surface in uncovering the many potential therapeutic uses for cord blood stem cells, and this new research in Alzheimer's disease may pave the way for discoveries around the use of these cells for a host of ne
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