Cryo-Cell International – Innovative Stem Cell Solutions

The recent release of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) draft guidelines on stem cell research funding should inspire innovation, not incite controversy. It’s time to talk about stem cell research without provoking debate or raising ethical dilemmas. It’s time to talk about adult stem cells.

In recent years, intense discussion surrounding stem cell research has focused primarily on embryonic stem cells (ESCs). While these stem cells are capable of transforming into every cell type in the body and hold great promise for creating regenerative cell-based therapies to treat a broad range of diseases, they remain highly controversial because of the source from which they are derived as well as their propensity to form (cancerous) terratomas. In view of these shortcomings, it is perplexing why media, government, and the public have paid so little attention to non-controversial adult stem cells which are harvested from alternative sources and may even transcend the promise of ESCs.

Adult stem cells have the ability to differentiate into many types of cells; can be collected from non-controversial sources; may be abundantly available and potentially derived from renewable sources; and have demonstrated safety and efficacy. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are a prime example of the benefits of adult stem cells which have been proven to treat more than 75 life-threatening illnesses, including leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia and thalessemia. Since the first cord blood stem cell transplant in 1988, an estimated 12,000 cord blood transplants have occurred worldwide.

Cryo-Cell International, Inc. discovered that stem cells harvested from menstrual blood have the ability to differentiate into many other types and may potentially be pluripotent. This is the first stem cell with both adult and embryonic markers that multiplies rapidly from a renewable source; can differentiate into other cell types, and can also be easily harvested in a painless, non-invasive manner as compared to other stem cell sources such as bone marrow or mobilized peripheral blood. In November 2007, Cryo-Cell introduced a revolutionary and proprietary new service, C’elle, empowering women to collect and cryopreserve their own menstrual stem cells for future potential therapies.

Preclinical research suggests that menstrual stem cells have the potential to one day treat a host of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and perhaps other neurological disorders. It’s possible that one day, menstrual blood stem cells may also be used for vascular regeneration; breast cancer therapy; or perhaps skin regeneration and wound-healing.

Even more exciting is that a woman has the ability to invest in her future healthcare by collecting and saving these non-controversial stem cells that may grow in value over time as regenerative therapies emerge.

Thanks to President Obama, we can continue the promising work we’ve started. So let’s not get mired in the controversy. Let’s encourage legislation that further explores and funds adult stem cell research. We cannot afford to marginalize the life-saving potential that adult stem cells bring.

Mercedes A. Walton is Chairman & CEO of Cryo-Cell International, Inc., an industry leader in cord blood banking and innovative stem cell solutions, with more than 175,000 clients worldwide.