Scientists from the University of Granada (Spain), in collaboration with the University of León, have confirmed that stem cells from human umbilical cord blood can be an appropriate therapy for the treatment of hepatic diseases such as hepatitis, and are therefore an effective alternative to bone marrow.

A study at the University of South Florida has shown that transplants of mononuclear human umbilical cord blood (MNChUCB) cells may help patients suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Jörg Willems has made an important contribution to our understanding of multi-scale problems in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. The effects of a stroke can now be significantly alleviated with a stem cell therapy based on umbilical cord blood.

Waiting just a few minutes to clamp the umbilical cord after a baby is born could boost iron stores in the newborn’s blood, but delayed cord clamping comes with an increased risk of jaundice, according to a new review of studies.

Targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in a mouse model of this currently untreatable neurodegenerative condition reports. The study, led by researchers at the University of South Florida, is published online in the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development.

Demand for stem cells from cord blood is greater than supply. In this week’s BMJ, two senior doctors, Professors Nicholas Fisk and Rifat Atun, analyse the UK’s growing cord blood banking industry and the potential impact of a new bank that provides blood for both personal and public use.

The more complex the assisted reproduction procedure, the more likely the umbilical cord develops in an atypical place or have other abnormalities, a scientist told the 23rd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.