Please guide which is better for spinal cord injury: One's own stem cells or umbilical cord blood stem cell?

Question

My cousin being a victim to spinal cord injury we are planning for his own bone marrow stem cells treatment by NCRM (http://www.ncrm.org/) - Life line hospital, Chennai group. But the first such success having been reported by a korean team in which umbilical cord blood has been used (http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200411/kt2004112617575710440.htm) I wonder whether there is any reliable institute in India offering this treatment using umbilical cord blood.

When my sister delivered a baby we understood there are more than 7 companies in India storing the umbilical cord blood stem cells, but none were confident enough to say they could offer treatment for such diseases. can any one guide me with?

Answer 1

I have had patients (in India), who after storing their Umbilical cord blood couldnt use for a sibling as these cord blood storage companies simply told their clients that their responsibility is only to Store and Deliver. Leave them! Ones own bone marrow is OK, but still on experimental basis, but should the treatment you think have to take place in India, then thats only resort.

I dont think any umbilical cord blood company in India is involved in real research towards applications, as most of them are run by business men and stock brokers whose main aim is to just make money without any botheration for patients. Preferably the government should come with public banking attached to their tertiary referral hospitals to solve this problem.

Answer 2

Stem cell banking and research company Life Cell Chennai is not yet ready to supply stem cells for therapy of all diseases. Initially they plan to treat only blood disorders.

The stem cells to treat spinal injures are not available in India
Own bone marrow cells are better and only option today and that too on experimental basis .

Umbilical cord stem cells can be potential carriers of genetic disorders if the foetus receiving the umbilical blood is prone to genetic diseases at later life and if the parents of the foetus are victims of any genetic diseases.