About Company / About stem cells

What are Stem Cells?

A **stem cell** is the mother of all cells and has the ability to transform into all cell types in the body. These cells possess the unique capacities of **self-renewal** and **differentiation** into various cell types, including blood, heart, nerve, and cartilage cells. They are also effective in regenerating and repairing different body tissues following injury, and can be transplanted into damaged tissues where a significant portion of cells have been lost, replacing the damaged cells and contributing to tissue repair and defect correction.
Due to their unique abilities, stem cells are a fascinating topic in biology and therapeutic sciences today. Research in this field has also deepened our understanding of how an organ develops from a single cell, and more importantly, it has helped us comprehend the mechanism of replacing damaged cells with healthy ones.

Stem cells are divided into three categories based on their characteristics and properties: embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, and umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Embryonic Stem Cells

These are derived from the inner cell mass of a 14-16 day old embryo and are capable of forming all cells and tissues of a complete individual.

Adult Stem Cells

These refer to cells isolated from various tissues of an adult after birth. Hematopoietic stem cells located in bone marrow, brain, liver, and other tissues belong to this category and have the ability to differentiate into certain tissues.

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells

These are extracted from the umbilical cord and are similar to hematopoietic stem cells found in bone marrow.

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells

**Umbilical cord blood** is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth and is typically discarded. This blood is rich in stem cells. Umbilical cord blood stem cells, similar to hematopoietic stem cells in bone marrow, are divided into the following cells:

 

**Red blood cells**, which carry oxygen throughout the body.

**White blood cells**, which actively participate in the immune system.

**Platelets**, which help with blood clotting and are also capable of forming other cell types, as well as repairing and maintaining cells during injury.

What are the applications of stem cells?

The first umbilical cord blood transplant was performed in **1988** in France by Dr. Gluckman on a child suffering from Fanconi anemia (a type of congenital anemia). Since then, hundreds of successful umbilical cord blood transplants have taken place, and large centers for storing these cells have been established in various countries worldwide. A review of published statistics indicates that approximately **30,000 patients** each year are identified with diseases treatable by bone marrow stem cell transplantation, and about **75%** of these patients are unable to find a suitable bone marrow donor. On the other hand, searching donor registries for bone marrow takes a lot of time. Therefore, storing umbilical cord blood shortens the waiting time and increases the number of available donors, thereby reducing the critical time for patients suffering from acute leukemias, anemias, and immune deficiencies who face short life expectancies.

Today, extensive research is underway to treat neurological diseases and injuries, repair damaged cardiac and bone tissues, treat burns and skin lesions, repair the pancreas and insulin secretion, and repair other damaged tissues using stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and other adult stem cells. The repair of the pancreas and insulin secretion, and the repair of other damaged tissues, are being carried out using stem cells from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and other adult stem cells.

Diseases Treated with Cord Blood

A list of diseases treatable using umbilical cord blood stem cells is as follows:

Stem Cell Disorders:Aplastic Anemia, Fanconi Anemia, Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
Acute Leukemia:AML, ALL, Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia
Chronic Leukemia:CML
Lymphocyte Production Deficiency Diseases:Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Hodgkin Lymphoma
Hereditary Red Blood Cell Abnormalities:Beta Thalassemia Major, Sickle Cell Anemia
Congenital Immune System Disorders:Kostmann Syndrome, Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency, DiGeorge Syndrome
Hereditary Platelet Deficiency:Congenital Thrombocytopenia
Plasma Cell Disorders:Multiple Myeloma, Plasma Cell Leukemia
Hereditary Diseases:Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, Cartilage Hypoplasia
Other Diseases:Alzheimer's Disease, Diabetes, Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Injuries, Heart and Brain Strokes, Liver Diseases, Muscular Dystrophy

Note:

Currently, in our country (Iran), only diseases of hematopoietic origin, including thalassemia, blood cancer, and anemias, are treatable using umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Outlook for Stem Cell Use

It has been proven today that stem cells are capable of treating a wide range of chronic and acute diseases. Extensive research is currently underway on the use of stem cells in treating conditions such as **Parkinson's disease, heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries, and strokes.**

Alzheimer's: 1 in 10 individuals over 65 and 5 in 10 individuals over 85 suffer from this disease.
Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal cord injuries affect over 750,000 people annually in the United States.
Bone Regeneration: Hope for treating those with osteoporosis and Parkinson's.
MS: An autoimmune and progressive disease of the central nervous system that affects many individuals annually.