“Fighting leukemia” by Lifebank and the Hospital Iasi

The use of stem cells for additional medical applications, has been the focus of a laboratory research, with encouraging results. The ability of blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood to differentiate into other cell types is a relatively recent discovery which gives hope for treatment of many diseases. This was referred to in a scientific lecture that was organized on May 2, 2014 by the Lifebank, Neapolis University in Cyprus and the Private Hospital IASIS. The lecture was titled “Fighting leukaemia: Use of umbilical cord blood and preparation for transplantation” with main speaker Prof. Arnon Nagler, Haematology – specialist for transplantation in the State Hospital of Tel Hashomer in Israel.

Prof. Arnon Nagler noted that “The umbilical cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after childbirth. Usually, after the birth of a child, the umbilical cord is discarded along with the placenta as remnants of the birth. He explained that Stem cells are cells that create bone marrow, produce and self-renew in millions per hour. Today, he said, the stem cells are mainly used in medical transplants, to support the treatment of haematological diseases. He added that for various diseases such as leukaemia, need chemotherapy or radiotherapy to destroy unwanted cells. Where chemotherapy destroys alongside with the unwanted cells also healthy cells, where the stem cells are essential for the creation of a new bone marrow. Subsequently, the bone marrow generates and supplies the body with new generated blood cells and creates and strengthens the immune system. ”

Dr. Panicos Papageorgiou, Cardiologist, Medical Director of the Private Hospital IASIS and former Minister of Health as well as Panagiotis Vorkas, Geneticist, General Director of Lifebank greeted the event. Dr. Stephen Pavlidis, Geneticist, Director Laboratory “Stephen Pavlidis coordinated the discussion.