Cord blood stem cells treat a wide variety of blood disorders including HbSC disease, Sickle βo Thalassemia, Cooley’s anaemia, β-thalassemia intermedia and E-βo thalassemia. They are also used to treat sickle cell anaemia, which has helped to save the life of a young girl from the UK named Carol Mulumba.

Carol was three weeks old when she was diagnosed with the disease. Sickle cell anaemia is a genetic disease that affects red blood cells. It  changes the cells from flexible disks into rigid crescents — hence the name, sickle cell anaemia. If enough of these oddly-shaped blood cells appear in a person’s body, they can cause blockages in veins, which often leads to serious damage to organs.

Red cell blockages in veins can also cause a great deal of pain. It is a lifelong disease that usually starts in childhood. Certain complications of the disease like Acute Chest Syndrome (ACS) are considered medical emergencies and can rapidly cause death. People with sickle cell anaemia usually die prematurely because of the damage done to their organs over time or a serious complication like ACS.

Sickle cell anaemia is particularly common in people with Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean or Black heritage.

Cord blood stem cells treat sickle cell anaemia by renewing the body’s ability to create healthy blood cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are responsible for creating blood cells, are used in this procedure.

Carol’s parents were told to preserve the umbilical cord blood of any other children that they have so Carol had a source of stem cells to draw on. A cord blood transplant from a sibling has a 25% chance of being a perfect match and a 50% chance of being a partial match. Additionally, studies have shown that survival rates are higher when a cord blood transplant comes from a sibling.

It was particularly important for Carol’s parents to store this cord blood, because there is a shortage of stem cell donors from black and minority communities. Carol may have struggled to find a stem cell match from a public bank.

Carol was overjoyed to be cured of the condition, saying: “A month after my transplant, testing showed that I was cured of sickle cell disease! I don’t have pain anymore. After my transplant, I started a brand-new life and I’m now a normal and healthy 13-year-old. All kids with sickle cell disease should be able to start a new life too.”

Source: Cord Blood Stem Cells Treat Sister’s Sickle Cell Anaemia

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