Cord Blood UsesCord blood is regarded as "pure" blood as it has not been exposed to the outside world. The stem cells found in cord blood are free from exposure to the many diseases and viruses people face as they age. Due to this transplants of such blood generally avoid complications like “Graft versus Host Disease”, where the body rejects grafts or transplants that it recognizes as foreign. Some of the immune system disorders where cord blood uses are advocated include bare lymphocyte syndrome, Kostmann syndrome, Digeorge syndrome, severe combine immunodeficiency and complete absence of t-cells. It can also be used to treat childhood leukemia or blood cancers and genetic diseases hurler syndrome, hunter syndrome, platelet abnormalities, Krabbe disease and in certain lymphoproliferative disorders. Using cord blood is also touted in leukemia or blood cancer where there is an excessive production of white blood cells in the patient's bone marrow. There are two main types of leukemia where cord blood transplants are advocated. These are acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myelobastic leukemia. Both these conditions are regarded as childhood cancers and studies have indicated cord blood to be extremely beneficial in such patients. In other cancers as well when the body’s blood cells are diminished due to chemotherapy or radiation treatments, cord blood stem cells are able to replenish these cells to satisfactory amounts. Recent studies have also advocated using cord blood in myocardial infarction although large scale trials are yet to be initiated. Cord blood stem cells were first used in stem cell transplantation in 1988. Since then many disease conditions have been treated by transplants of cord blood across the globe.
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