Stem Cell Medicine - Are there more possibilities for umbilical cord blood?

During the past few years, in many clinics stem cell treatment has become almost routine. Umbilical cord blood cells are harvested and used to grow new cells for the treatment and possible repair of many organ diseases.

“Umbilical cord blood is a valuable stem cell source. It must be harvested immediately after birth and be specifically stored to be of use in the treatment of an illness,” said Dr. Susanne Engel-Hoemke, the press contact for the Nabelschnurblutbank [Umbilical Cord Blood Bank] Stellacure, in Germany’s Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Epoch Times (ET): Many people are under the impression that stem cell treatment in Germany is controversial and not wholly sanctioned. What is really happening?

Dr. Engel-Hoemke (Dr. EH): Discussions about the controversial topic abound. There is a difference between stem cells from adults and those from embryos. The negative opinions are related to the embryonic cells that are created a few days after conception—when the first cell divisions occur. Basic research is done with those cells. We do not use those for therapeutic applications. But German stem cell laws have enabled us to conduct a certain amount of [treatment] research with these cells. Ethical constraints forbid the use of bone marrow and umbilical cord blood on human beings.

ET: Which treatments make use of stem cell therapy today?

Dr. EH: Bone marrow stem cells have been utilized since the 1950s. For the most part, they are primarily used for diseases of the lymph nodes and tumors like bone cancer, and for eye and kidney tumors following chemotherapy. The treatments serve to generate new blood.

Umbilical cord blood, harvested immediately after birth, is also increasingly being used. To date, approximately 100 children have received their own umbilical cord blood as a remedy for brain injuries following birth, to combat type 1 diabetes, and for specific bone marrow illnesses. That does not sound like a large number, but the children whose parents had stored umbilical cord blood are still quite young and fortunately do not have [other] debilitating illnesses.

ET: What lies ahead for future stem cell applications?

Dr. EH: Uses in the practice of regenerative medicine are of particular interest. At stake here is the chance to regenerate destroyed organs and tissue. One’s own cells are preferred, because they largely prevent rejection symptoms. I am talking here of heart attack, stroke, illnesses of the nervous system, type 1 diabetes, and even liver diseases. For example, we have successfully treated several children who suffered from type 1 diabetes. Stem cells prevent further cell destruction in the pancreas. Concurrently, researchers are busy growing new pancreatic cells from fresh cells to aid in the regeneration of the organ.

ET: Since when has Nabelschnurblutbank Stellacure in Hamburg offered their services?

Dr. EH: We became licensed in mid-2006 to harvest and store umbilical cord blood and have offered our services since January 2007. Storage is with the blood bank DRK Baden-Wuerttemberg-Hessen in Frankfurt. Between the two there is great cooperation. We rely on decades-old records and the experience of the blood bank and thus offer parents a high-quality cell product. We also utilize the expansion of the public umbilical cord bank in Mannheim, which the DRK has managed since 1996.

ET: What do you tell expectant parents when they become your clients?

Dr. EH: The chance to store their children’s own stem cells is a treatment option for possible conditions that occur later in life. One has insured a treatment option for the growing child, but hopes at the same time this step will not be necessary. The contract lasts for 21 years, after which the adult child can decide if the umbilical cord ought to be stored further. I am convinced that by then it is a given [to continue storage].

ET: Thank you very much, Dr. Engel-Hoemke!


Last Updated
Nov 24, 2008