X-ray images response to Chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation. Click here to see examples. The link below reflects all types of diseases that may have treatments involving stem cell transplantation. Not all diseases treated with stem cells have yet been treated specifically with cord blood stem cells. The stem cells found in cord blood have some unique qualities.
Bone marrow is difficult to match between donor and recipient.
Collection of bone marrow is invasive and can be painful, as it requires many insertions to extract the marrow from the donor's bones with a needle and syringe. This is a lengthy process that usually requires general anesthesia. It is also an expensive procedure. Recently, several investigators have shown that umbilical cord blood is a rich source of pluripotent stem cells and can be used in place of bone marrow in transplantation. To date, umbilical cord blood has been used in sibling and other related donor transplants.