Stemming the Tide of Degenerative Disease

Paul Sanberg may be the guy who unseats Juan Ponce de Leon when we think of the fountain of youth. His work with stem cells and cord blood is poised to revolutionize brain health and repair. Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair and Associate Vice President/Associate Dean for Biotechnology Development at the University Of South Florida College Of Medicine, Sanberg was the last speaker at the UTD Center for Brain Health 2010 lecture series.

Among the diseases being treated with stem cells are Parkinson's, stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and ALS. There's reason to hope that Alzheimer's will respond as well. Stem cells are all over our bodies, have the ability to renew themselves, and can differentiate into tissues different from their origin. Dr. Sanberg's was the first group to show that bone marrow cells will turn into brain cells.

Here is a man who has written 300 scholarly articles and thirteen books with titles so dense they wear you out, and yet he is not someone easily categorized. He's been named one of the ten people to watch by the business editor of the St. Petersburg Times. His work electrifies the medical community as well as business leaders. Not always easy for the layman to follow, his talk revealed the amazing potential for addressing degenerative diseases and birth defects with stem cells and umbilical cord blood.

Bone marrow stem cells are most used due to the ethical concerns of harvesting from embryos. However, retrieving bone marrow is a very painful major surgery. The cells can be old, depending on the age of the donor, and must match the blood type of the recipient.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells show the most promise of all sources being studied. Not as much matching is required because of immune immaturity. The cord blood doesn't contain the antibodies that typically interfere with the immune systems of the patients receiving the stem cells. It's also easy to obtain, and not harmful to either the baby or the mother. Because the cells are young, they have long telomeres, and the capacity to develop into neuro-cells.

Dr. Sanberg has conducted studies on the effects of stroke, traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy or developmental brain injury. In each case, although the studies are not completed, stem cell therapies show strong promise.

Following Dr. Sanberg at the lectern were young parents who have experienced firsthand the marvels of the work being done with cord blood. Their daughter, Caroline, had a stroke in utero and was born with damage in her left lobe and hydrocephaly. They were told that she'd be blind and deaf, and would never be able to walk or even lift her head. The wife found out who was working with infants suffering from neurological problems, and they took her to Duke University for a stem cell infusion. They were able to use Caroline's own cord blood.

Caroline, now 22 months old, has had two infusions. She walks and can identify her ears and eyes and tummy. Her parents delight in her progress and give much credit to the groundbreaking work being done by Dr. Sanberg and his colleagues.