In collaboration with Insception - Researchers Tests Cord Blood Treatment for Diabetes

Over the years, cord blood has been used to aid in the treatment of a wide variety of blood diseases, including leukemia and sickle-cell anemia. Today, researchers are looking for new uses for cord blood stem cells, conducting clinical trials to test the effectiveness of cord blood in treating brain injuries, degenerative diseases and even diabetes.

Together with researchers at Mount Sinai’s Lunenfeld Research Institute, Researcher Dr. Ian Rogers is developing ways to use cord blood to treat the disease. Diabetes is characterized by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone that controls the level of sugar glucose in the blood. Dr. Rogers’ research hopes to find a way to restore the pancreas’ ability to produce that hormone using stem cells.

The research currently only focuses on patients with Type 1 diabetes, but if successful it is likely that the team will move on to other forms of the disease. Dr. Rogers’ team is also developing ways for stem cells to create new blood vessels for patients suffering from poor blood circulation. It is a common complication for those who have diabetes and the application of cord blood could help to treat and eliminate this symptom.