Using Cord Blood Stem Cells to Treat
Juvenile Diabetes

Behind Asthma, Type 1 or juvenile diabetes is the second most common chronic childhood disease. It affects 1.5 million Americans today and there are 15,000 new cases diagnosed every year.*

The ViaCord Research Institute is committed to supporting important research, like that being conducted for Juvenile Diabetes.

The ViaCord Research Institute in collaboration with researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, will conduct studies evaluating stem cells using cord blood to treat Type 1 Diabetes. These studies will focus on experiments that analyze the stem cell potential of cord blood and Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells (USSCs) derived from cord blood.

ViaCord is also actively helping our families participate in a clinical trial at the University of Florida using cord blood stem cells to treat Type 1 Diabetes. Preliminary results suggest that autologous cord blood transfusion is safe and provides some slowing of the loss of endogenous insulin production in children with Type 1 Diabetes. One specific case is that of Spencer, an 11 year old boy, who has been participating in the trial for a year. In that year he’s seen his number of insulin shots drop significantly. Click here to read more about Spencer’s story.

At ViaCord, we don’t just save it. We make the research possible too.

*References:

1. Posted June 5, 2008. US News & World Report. Sunlight, Vitamin D May Cut Kids' Diabetes Risk.
2. Study Start Date, April 2005. ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of The NIH. Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion to Treat Type 1 Diabetes.