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Adult Stem Cells to Help Diabetes Sufferers : 11th Jun 07
Irish Hospitals Called on to Act as Scientists Uncover Benefits of Cord Blood Stem Cells for Diabetes Sufferers
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that there are 86,000 (type 1 and 2) diabetes sufferers in Ireland and predicts this number will nearly double by 2030, there has been an exciting new development in diabetes research.
New research shows that human tissue is capable of producing insulin. It has been created from cord blood stem cells obtained from umbilical cords from newborn infants. Insulin producing tissue is destroyed in type one diabetes and its production from cord blood stem cells is an exciting step closer to finding a cure for diabetes.
This development was the result of a transatlantic collaboration lead from the European side by an Irish researcher, Professor Colin McGuckin, now of the Newcastle Centre for Cord Blood, working with a team from Newcastle University and the Stark Diabetes Centre, University of Texas.
In Ireland, there are around 60,000 babies born per year. Almost all of their umbilical cords are disposed of as "hospital waste". State of the art research facilities in Galway, Cork and Dublin already study the use of cord blood stem cells but find it difficult to obtain enough umbilical cords for their research.
According to Irish MEP Kathy Sinnott, hospitals need to be equipped to make use of the new therapies. "If we are going to apply these amazing stem cells, nature's repair kit, to people who have suffered strokes, heart attacks, trauma injuries and conditions like MS and cancer and hopefully someday diabetes, we must equip our maternity hospitals to save umbilical cord blood", she pointed out. Kathy Sinnott MEP. kathy.sinnott@europarl.europa.eu
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