Human umbilical cord blood has received increased attention in recent years as a viable source for pluripotent stem cells that can be used in a wide array of applications.
In this study, researchers from institutions in Los Angeles, CA, Stony Brook, NY and Seoul, Korea explored whether cord blood stem cells can be used effectively in treating urinary incontinence in women.
32 women with stress urinary incontinence underwent periurethral injection of cord blood stem cells. Patients were evaluated using Incontinence Impact and Incontinence Quality of Life questionnaires. Patients were follwed for an average of 5.1 months and a 50 percent or greater quality of life improvement was noted in 80 percent of the patents after one month, and in 83 percent of patients after three months ? suggesting that endoscopic injection of cord blood may be a well-tolerated and safe option for women with stress urinary incontinence.