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Used in medicine today

Stem cells today and what the future may bring

Stem cells are already used in established medical treatments for serious conditions, helping patients rebuild the blood and immune system. At the same time, research is rapidly expanding their potential into new areas of medicine. Because these cells can only be collected at birth, this is a one-time opportunity to preserve them for potential future use.

How stem cells are used in medicine today

Stem cell treatments are used to repair or rebuild the body when normal function has been lost, most often by restoring the blood and immune system.

These treatments are already a part of modern healthcare and are used across multiple disease areas, particularly in transplant medicine.

Sources such as umbilical cord blood have been used for decades and continue to support patients worldwide.

30+
Years of cord blood use in transplants

Used clinically since the late 1980s.

6M
Children have their stem cells stored

A widely adopted approach worldwide.

85K+
Cord blood transplants performed

An established part of modern medicine.

Used in medicine today

Stem cell treatments are not just a future possibility, they are already part of established medical care.

In certain conditions, stem cells are used to rebuild the body’s blood and immune system with healthy cells. This can be life-saving in situations where the body can no longer function on its own.

Cord blood stem cells, in particular, are known for their adaptability, making them a valuable option in transplant medicine.

For many families, this represents access to a treatment option that may otherwise be difficult to find when it matters most.

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Conditions treated with stem cells today

Used in established medical treatments across multiple disease areas.

Blood disorders

Stem cells can restore the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.

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Cord blood stem cells are part of established treatments for a range of serious conditions affecting the blood and bone marrow.

Conditions treated include:

  • Amyloidosis
  • Aplastic Anemia (Severe)
  • Beta Thalassemia Major
  • Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia (CAT)
  • Congenital Cytopenia
  • Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia
  • Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA)
  • Dyskeratosis Congenita
  • Essential Thrombocythemia
  • Fanconi Anemia
  • Glanzmann´s Thrombasthenia
  • Myelodysplastic Syndrome
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome with Ringed Sideroblats (MDS-RS)
  • Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH)
  • Polycythemia Vera
  • Primary Myelofibrosis
  • Pure Red Cell Aplasia
  • Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts in Transition (RAEB-T)
  • Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome
  • Sickle Cell Disease

These treatments are part of established medical practice and continue to be used worldwide.

Cancers

Stem cell transplants are used to rebuild the blood and immune system after intensive treatment.

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Stem cell transplants are used in the treatment of certain cancers, helping rebuild the blood and immune system after intensive therapies such as chemotherapy.

Conditions treated include:

  • Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia
  • Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
  • Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
  • Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia
  • Adult T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma
  • Chronic Active Epstein Barr
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
  • Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML)
  • Ewing Sarcoma
  • Hodgkin´s Lymphoma
  • Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)
  • Myeloid/Natural Killer (NK) Cell Precursor Acute Leukemia
  • Non-Hodgkin´s Lymphoma
  • Prolymphocytic Leukemia
  • Plasma Cell Leukemia
  • Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)
  • Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
  • Multiple Myeloma
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Rhabdomyosarcoma
  • Thymoma (Thymic Carcinoma)
  • Waldenstrom´s Macroglobulinemia
  • Wilms Tumor

Stem cell transplantation is an established part of treatment for several types of cancer.

Immune disorders

Stem cells can help rebuild a functioning immune system in certain conditions.

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Stem cells can be used to rebuild a functioning immune system in certain inherited immune disorders.

Conditions treated include:

  • Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency (SCID)
  • Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome (SCID)
  • Chedial-Higashi Syndrome (SCID)
  • Chronic Granulomatous Disease
  • Congenital Neutropenia
  • Di George Syndrome
  • Evans Syndrome
  • Fucosidosis
  • Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)
  • Hemophagocytosis Langerhan´s Cell Histiocytosis
  • IKK Gamma Deficiency (NEMO Deficiency)
  • Immune Dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) Syndrome
  • Kostmann Syndrome (SCID)
  • Myelokathexis
  • Omenn Syndrome (SCID)
  • Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase Deficiency (SCID)
  • Reticular Dysgenesis (SCID)
  • Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Diseases (SCID)
  • Thymic Dysplasia
  • Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
  • X-linked Agammaglobulinemia
  • X-linked Lymphoproliferative Disorder
  • X-linked Hyper IgM Syndrome

These treatments can restore immune function in patients where the body cannot defend itself properly.

Metabolic disorders

Stem cell treatments are used in conditions where key metabolic functions are impaired.

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Stem cell treatments are used in certain inherited metabolic disorders, where the body lacks important enzymes needed for normal function.

Conditions treated include:

  • Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria (Gunther´s Disease)
  • Gaucher Disease
  • Hunter Syndrome (MPS-II)
  • Hurler Syndrome (MPS-IH)
  • Krabbe Disease
  • Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
  • Mannosidosis
  • Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome (MPS-VI)
  • Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
  • Mucolipidosis II (I-cell Disease)
  • Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease)
  • Niemann-Pick Disease
  • Sandhoff Disease
  • Sanfilippo Syndrome (MPS-III)
  • Scheie Syndrome (MPS-IS)
  • Sly Syndrome (MPS-VII)
  • Tay Sachs
  • Wolman Disease
  • X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

Treatment may help slow or modify the progression of these conditions.

Solid Tumors

Stem cells may be used after intensive cancer treatment to support recovery of the blood and immune system.

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Stem cells may be used to support recovery of the blood and immune system following intensive cancer therapy.

Conditions treated with stem cells

  • Neuroblastoma
  • Medulloblastoma
  • Retinoblastoma

These treatments are used to support recovery after advanced therapy.

Additional clinical applications

Stem cell transplantation is used across a wide range of rare and complex conditions beyond those listed here.

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Stem cell transplantation is used across a broad range of rare and complex conditions beyond the main categories shown. These treatments are part of established medical practice in specialised settings.

Additional clinical applications include:

  • Osteopetrosis
  • Hemoglobinopathies beyond thalassemia and sickle cell disease
  • Rare inherited bone marrow failure syndromes
  • Certain histiocytic disorders
  • Selected autoimmune conditions (in specialised cases)

The range of conditions continues to evolve as medical research advances and clinical experience grows.

How stem cell treatments are used

Stem cell treatments are used to repair or rebuild the body when normal function has been lost, most often by restoring the blood and immune system.

These treatments can use the patient’s own stem cells or stem cells from a donor. This means stored stem cells may be relevant both for your child and for other family members.

Stem cell transplantation has been used in hospitals for decades, originally through bone marrow transplants. Today, more than 100,000 patients receive stem cell transplants each year worldwide.

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Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all blood cells in the body and are primarily found in bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. Today, cord blood stem cells are used in the same types of treatments as bone marrow stem cells, with important advantages.

Because cord blood stem cells are more flexible, matching between donor and patient can be easier, and the risk of certain complications may be lower. This can be especially important for families where finding a compatible donor is more difficult, for example across different ethnic backgrounds.

In Sweden, donor matching is often carried out through registries such as Tobiasregistret.

Tomorrow’s potential

In addition to the many conditions already treated with stem cells today, research is rapidly expanding into new areas of medicine.

Clinical studies are exploring how stem cells may be used in conditions such as type 1 diabetes, cerebral palsy, autism, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. While these applications are still being studied, the progress is significant, and the number of potential future uses continues to grow.

For many families, this represents the possibility of access to treatments that may not yet be widely available.

80+
Standard treatments

Stem cell transplants are used today to treat over 80 serious diseases, including blood disorders, cancers, and immune conditions.

800+
Clinical Studies

Hundreds of clinical studies worldwide are exploring how stem cells from cord blood, cord tissue, and placenta may be used in treatment.

2K+
Patients treated

Together with our network of biobanks, we have supplied cord blood and cord tissue stem cells for both established treatments and clinical studies.

Stem cells have incredible potential and powerful healing capabilities

Cord blood stem cells

Cord blood contains stem cells that can rebuild the blood and immune system when normal function has been lost.

 

They are used in treatments for conditions such as leukemia, severe anaemia, and certain inherited immune disorders, diseases that affect many families.

 

Because they are collected at birth, they are more adaptable and may be easier to match between donor and patient.

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Cord tissue stem cells

Cord tissue contains cells that can develop into different types of structural tissue, such as bone, cartilage, and muscle.

 

They are being studied in conditions such as joint injuries, heart disease, neurological conditions, and type 1 diabetes, areas that affect millions of people.

 

This makes them a promising resource in ongoing efforts to repair and restore damaged tissue.

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Placenta tissue (chorion villi)

The placenta is a unique organ that supports growth and development during pregnancy, containing a rich and complex biological environment.

 

By preserving small pieces of placenta tissue, the full structure and cellular composition are kept intact, allowing access to this material as new treatments continue to develop.

 

This expands future possibilities in areas such as immune-related conditions, wound healing, and regenerative medicine.

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Areas of research in stem cell therapy

Research into stem cell therapy is expanding across multiple areas of medicine, exploring how these cells may be used to repair, restore, or support the body in new ways.

Autoimmune Diseases

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  • Chrohn’s Disease
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Eczema, Graft-Versus-Host Disease
  • GvHD, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  • Psoriasis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Ulcerative Colitis

Neurological Conditions

  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Autism
  • Cerebral Palsy, CP
  • Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
  • Hearing impairment (acquired sensorineural)
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Stroke

Orthopedic Diseases

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Cartilage Damage
  • Cleft Palate
  • Regeneration of Bone Tissue and Cartilage

Tissue or organ damage

  • Burns
  • Liver Fibrosis
  • Liver Cirrhosis
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Reproduction-Related Conditions

Cardiovascular Diseases

  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Heart Disease
  • Heart Damage
  • Repair of Heart Tissue
  • Vascular Damage

Cancer

  • Breast Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Solid Tumors

Hematological Diseases

In hematology, current areas of research involving cord blood stem cells include:

  • Delayed Immune Reconstitution
  • Chemotherapy-related Bone Marrow Damage
  • Radiation-induced Bone Marrow Injury
  • Improved Stem Cell Engraftment
  • Expansion of Cord Blood Stem Cells
  • Stem Cell-based Gene Therapy for Rare Blood Disorders

Metabolic Diseases

  • Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
  • Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB)

Other Diseases & Conditions

  • Acute Respiratory Failure Syndrome (ARDS)
  • Asthma
  • Covid-19
  • Diabetic Foot Ulcer
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  • Visual Impairment

Give your child access to future possibilities

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