| Cancer, which was supposed to be an incurable | | | | During last ten years, over 4000 umbilical cord |
| disease, can now be cured if detected at the right | | | | blood transplants (UCBT) have been performed |
| time. The rapid advancement in Science and | | | | worldwide. The interest in this mode of transplant |
| Medicine has opened wide vistas before us for | | | | has grown drastically, as this provides easy |
| the treatment of life threatening diseases including | | | | access to an alternative for treating cancer and |
| AIDS, Neurotic diseases and Genetic disorders. In | | | | serious diseases. The first cord blood transplant |
| many cases your doctor might suggest a Stem | | | | was done in 1988 on a young cancer patient. |
| Cell transplant or a Bone marrow transplant as | | | | Seeing the tremendous success of this |
| the possible solution for your disease. In this case | | | | experiment, it became a regular practice with |
| a cord blood transplant may be a good option. | | | | many doctors to recommend UCBT as the |
| These stem cells are the blood forming cells of | | | | solution for the treatment of a disease. |
| human body and are widely being used in | | | | On the other hand there are some critics of |
| transplants. These cells help in the production of | | | | UCBT who think that many complications can |
| red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. | | | | arise after a transplant. One of the common |
| Earlier there were only 2 reliable sources of Stem | | | | problems that can crop up after an Allogenic |
| Cells: Bone Marrow and peripheral Blood. But | | | | Transplant (Stem cells retrieved from cord blood |
| recently it has been found that Umbilical Cord | | | | of an outside donor ) is Graft Versus Host |
| Blood is also good and rich source of stem cells. | | | | Disease or commonly known as (GVHD). The |
| The waste cord and the blood contained in it | | | | consequences of GVHD can range from mild to |
| were usually discarded after the birth of the baby | | | | severe and sometimes terminating. That is why |
| but now it has been discovered that this cord | | | | there are chances that the doctor might not |
| blood is an extremely rich source of stem cells | | | | approve of Cord Blood transplant. |
| which can be readily used in transplants. | | | | |