Do you have leukemia? It will be your good news then. You can have good and effective treatment through umbilical cord blood. This blood is considered an important source of stem cells. Stem cells are obtained from embryos. However, treatment with this type of cells is the appropriate solution for some disorders such as leukemia.
Stem cells have the ability to replicate to treat, repair, and also heal cells damaged by some diseases, including leukemia. Historically, treatment using these types of cells was previously completed in 1988. However, this procedure became accessible to the general public in 1995. Today, you can find cold-blooded banks to store the stem cells and the umbilical cord blood.
Cord blood will be the right answer for some diseases. As of June 2009, this blood was believed to be able to treat eighty diseases. It is a potential treatment for leukemia patients, specifically those who do not have an acceptable source for narrow bone transplantation.
So how to use this umbilical cord blood as a treatment for leukemia? The treatment process begins when the blood of the giving birth mother is obtained. The patient then receives regular chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy. It is capable of destroying normal or cancerous blood cells in the bone marrow. Since the stem cell is capable of killing the old cells, it will replicate and be replaced by new cells.
Furthermore, the true transplant occurs when the patient is injected with the stem cells. They are able to take over the creation of new white blood cells for around 10 to 14 days so that blood production gradually returns to normal. Also, you may need transfusions of some substances, such as platelets and red blood cells, since they are not capable of reproducing on their own.
Cord blood can easily be collected right after birth. To keep it sterilized, it is cryogenically stored in a public or private bank until it is needed for transplantation. Additionally, this blood can be stored indefinitely until it is needed for treatment.