Once the late Ronald Reagan’s Alzheimer’s Disease progressed so far that his wife Nancy could, “no longer reach him” she, and her son Ron, came out publicly in favor of embryonic stem cell research in the hope of finding a cure for this devastating disease. They have both been strong advocates for this life destroying research ever since. But Ron and Nancy may want to re-think their position in light of some new developments in research involving umbilical cord blood stem cells.
In a pre-clinical study, published in the March issue of Stem Cells and Development:
researchers from the University of South Florida and Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., found that targeted immune suppression using stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood reduced Alzheimer’s disease progression in a mouse model….
During the study, researchers administered a series of low-dose infusions of umbilical cord blood cells into mice with abnormalities mimicking Alzheimer’s disease. As they observed the mice, they found that the levels of amyloid-beta proteins, which are key markers of Alzheimer’s progression in the brain, were reduced by nearly two-thirds (62%), and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA, another marker of the disease in which the amyloid proteins harden the brain’s blood vessel walls) was improved by 86 percent. The cord blood infusions were shown to suppress the inflammatory activity, which indicates their potential to block the inflammatory response involved in Alzheimer’s disease and also related disorders.
See the original research report
This is very early research, probably years away from any human trials, but already miles ahead of any progress shown with ESCs. Some decry the commercialization of private umbilical cord blood banks, but if this research continues to develop who knows what the future might hold. Those who cannot afford to preserve their own UCB can certainly donate it for use in transplants and current/future stem cell research and trials.
Some UCB banks:
Cryo-Cell International, which partially funded this research
Saint Louis Cord Blood Bank
Cord Blood Registry
Where to Donate Cord Blood
Charity guide to donating cord blood