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Top 5 questions surrounding Adult Stem CellsRecently, AssureImmune conducted its own market research with consumers about adult stem cell banking. From our research, AssureImmune pulled the top five (5) questions surrounding the topics of collecting, preserving and banking adult stem cells. Those questions on adult stem cells and information pertaining to our premier collection and preservation services are highlighted below.
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What are stem cells?
Stem cells are the cells in our body from which all the various cell types of the human body are derived. They originate from the union of an egg and sperm and gradually differentiate to produce the 200 different cell types in the body. After birth, they continue to be produced in bone marrow and circulate throughout our blood, tissues and organs to repair damage. At AssureImmune, we focus solely on collecting and preserving adult stem cells. For more information on Adult Stem Cells, please see our “About Stem Cells” section.
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What types of studies are being done right now using adult stem cells?
There are over 700 clinical trials being done right here in the United States using adult stem cells (visit www.clincaltrials.gov for more information). For example, in preliminary studies, adult stem cells are being used to regenerate heart tissue. For the millions of people in the U.S. who are battling heart disease, using your own stem cells for heart regeneration may be the choice of treatment in the near future. In addition, major universities such as Northwestern University are partnering with universities in other countries to focus on a cure for Diabetes (Type 1). Recently, a Northwestern University researcher used adult stem cell injections to reset the immune systems of patients with early-onset Type 1 diabetes. After the stem cell therapy, patients no longer needed to take insulin for up to 35 months. This study was conducted in Brazil under the direction of Julio C. Voltarelli, M.D., of the University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. You can read more information on adult stem cells by visiting our News section which highlights some of the latest research findings and therapies using adult stem cells. .
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Why should I be collecting my own stem cells vs. using a donor's stem cells?
For years, researchers have been using stem cell transplants (bone marrow transplants) to treat debilitating diseases. Most of these transplants used cells stored in public banks. Increasingly there is interest in storing and using your own cells - particularly for regenerative purposes. When you use your own cells you avoid the risk of rejection and "Graft-versus-host disease", a serious life threatening immune response that occurs in a person who receives someone else's stem cells. What happens is the foreign cells mount an attack on the body which results in damage to the patient's own cells. For more information on this topic, please visit our "Why choose your own" section of our website.
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What is the difference between cord blood and peripheral blood?
Adult stem cells are stem cells that circulate in the body after we are born. Although all stem cells collected after we are born are called "adult", they can be harvested at any age. The term "adult" is meant to clearly differentiate this type of stem cell from embryonic stem cells which are obtained from an embryo. For newborns, adult stem cells can be collected via the umbilical cord blood during the time of delivery of a baby. For children and adults, they can be collected from peripheral (or circulating) blood (a process similar to donating blood). For more information on collecting stem cells, please visit the Assure Collection Process™.
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Why choose AssureImmune?
What makes AssureImmune unique is our strong scientific and medical expertise, our state of the art equipment, our understanding of the stem cell industry, and our commitment to quality. For more information on our recipe for success, please visit the “Assure Difference” on our website.
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