(Please note: This is a review of a series of studies performed on mice. There are currently no human investigational clinical trials for this condition studying cord blood.)

The studies

A recent review of a series of studies—the latest published in September 2018—explains more exciting research into the potential regenerative capabilities of cord blood stem cells.

The condition of interest? Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), a genetic condition that causes the skin to blister easily, affects mucous membranes such as the lining of the mouth and digestive tract. People with this condition also have a high risk of developing skin cancer.

In a previous study, researchers from New York Medical College established that cord blood stem cells can help heal wounds and reduce blistering in mice with RDEB. And their 2018 study showed that cord blood stem cells may represent a way to stop the progression of skin cancer both in mice with RDEB and in human cells with RDEB.

What does all of this mean?

First, more studies are needed to confirm the results, but these findings highlight some awesome characteristics of cord blood!

As scientists continue to explore the “how” of cord blood in regenerative medicine in early laboratory studies, it helps us better understand how cord blood might work in humans. Future potential treatments using cord blood to treat skin disorders or cancers are still far in the future, but studies like these are the first step in exploring those possibilities.

In the future, it’s feasible that skin disorders or cancers could join the ranks of autism, cerebral palsy, and hearing loss in the list of conditions being investigated in human clinical trials.

As always, we’ll keep you posted as the science moves forward!