Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells. These cells are the specialized cells that are able to differentiate into other types of cells. They also have the ability to replace affected cells with new cells. For this reason, cord blood stem cells have been used in many transplants, where patients require regrowth of cells by replacing the affected ones. In this article, we will see how stem cells are being used to treat various lung and kidney diseases.

Earlier researches have shown successful transplants by differentiating stem cells into brain cells, blood cells or skin cells. Now the scientists at the University of Minnesota have shown how to differentiate cord blood stem cells into lung cells.

By conducting the transplant with cord blood stem cells, the researchers at the University of Minnesota were able to treat the airway in lungs, damaged after an injury. This was a major breakthrough in the history of medical research and would be helpful to detect and understand different types of lung diseases. Also, the scientists would now have the ability to test different drugs to treat the diseases and measure their effects on patients.

The research showed that these cells were also helpful to treat lung diseases like cystic fibrosis in babies with their own cord blood stem cells. Apart from that, the new development in the field of stem cells also ensures better understanding in lung diseases and different stages of lung development.

A new research further showed the importance of cord blood stem cells in treating kidney related diseases. According to the findings, the mesenchymal stem cells, which are derived from full-term umbilical cord blood, have the ability to repair kidney tissues by developing bone and cartilage. A team of researchers in Italy conducted a research on a mice model to treat renal failure. This condition occurs when kidneys cannot remove urine and waste. The mice were treated with cord blood mesenchymal stem cells. After the transplant, the scientists had seen improvements in their kidney functions.

This ensures faster recovery from kidney problems, which are resulted from tissue damage. With this study, patients suffering from acute kidney related diseases, are hopeful to recover and relive a normal life. However more studies are required to come to a full-proof solution to treat kidney diseases in humans with mesenchymal stem cells.

Lupus is an inflammatory disease that damages our joints, skin, and kidneys. It may also be life-threatening once it affects the kidneys. New studies proved that stem cells are useful to treat severe lupus. Northwestern Hospital in Chicago conducted a study involving 50 patients with lupus. All of them went through stem cells transplants. After treatment, 25 patients got rid of the disease after five years while 84% of them survived from the condition.

Cord blood stem cells have the potential to treat many acute diseases, which did not have any proper treatments before. However, more and more researchers are needed to understand the diseases and how they spread and affect. Only then the scientists will be able to come to the ultimate solution.

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Sickle cell disease is often thought of as a disease affecting people with dark skin, and a majority of patients – researchers estimate 60 to 80 percent – are African-American, but other races are also affected. People of Indian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic and Mediterranean heritage are also commonly affected, says an article published in the New York Times[1]. Sickle cell anaemia patients need comprehensive care throughout their lives. Ground breaking treatment through stem cells for genetic disorders could help treat Sickle Cell Anaemia.

What is Sickle Cell Anaemia?

It is a genetic disorder where the red blood cells carry a certain type of haemoglobin named “haemoglobin S” resulting in the cells to form shapes similar to a sickle. These cells have lesser oxygen carrying capacity as well as get stuck and break up while passing through small blood vessels. A person gets the disease only when he/she gets the sickle hemoglobin gene from both the parents. If one gets the gene from only one parent and a normal gene from the other, then you have ‘Sickle cell trait’.

Symptoms

Symptoms only start to appear at around 4 months of age. Painful episodes known as Crises are common in sickle cell anaemia patients. Crises are characterised by severe pain in lower back, legs, joints and chest which may go on from hours to days. Young children with sickle cell anaemia have paleness, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath and yellowing of eyes and skin due to jaundice. When small blood vessels get blocked by the abnormal cells, it may result in painful or prolonged erection, poor eyesight or blindness, problems with thinking and ulcers on lower legs. With age, the spleen stops working and it may result in a host of other infections such as bone infection.

Treatment

People with sickle cell anaemia might have to undergo regular treatments irrespective of the problem causing symptoms in order to minimize their future occurrences. Blood transfusions may be done at regular intervals in order to minimize the risk of a stroke due to small blood vessels getting clogged. Patients also take pain killers and antibiotics to combat the effects of the disease. Research has shown that treatment through stem cells for genetic disorders could cure sickle cell anaemia.  In a Case Study by the National Institute of Health,US (2004-2013)[2], thirty sickle cell anaemia patients aged 16 to 65 yrs first went through a toxic regime to kill their marrow and then stem cell transplant. Researchers found that 87% of the patients responded positively. One of the major concerns voiced against treatment through stem cell for genetic disorders like sickle cell anaemia is that patients often cannot find donor cells. Cord blood therapy helps to resolve this issue. Cord blood cells from an immediate family member can help treat the disease reducing the risk of rejection by the body.

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-sickle-cell-know.html

[2]http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/july2014/07142014sickle.htm

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