Cord Blood Helps Patients with Ataxia
A recent study has concluded that cord blood transplants are effective in treating patients suffering from Ataxia. The Journal of Transitional Medicine reports that Ataxia patients who have undergone cord blood transplants show significant signs of improvement to their quality of life and functionality.
Ataxia is a disease characterized a lack of coordination in the patient's muscles movements. There are several causes of Ataxia, including Vitamin b12 deficiency, radiation poisoning, strokes, brain tumours or multiple sclerosis. Currently, there is no cure for Ataxia, but patients can undergo physical therapy and take medication to help improve their symptoms.
Researchers at China's Nanshan Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College set out to explore the possibility of using cord blood as a treatment option for Ataxia. During the study, 30 patients with Ataxia recieved between 4 and 6 injections of cord blood-derived stem cells in addition to undergoing physical therapy sessions twice a day.
Their findings, the first to be published on the topic, have proven that cord blood therapy is effective in improving the symptoms of patients suffering from this condition. The study's researchers believe that this is a huge step forward for cord blood technology and hope to expand the study in the near future.