Stem cells are the body's "master" cells because they can regenerate and turn into the cells that form all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body. The first discovery of stem cells was in bone marrow, and they were used to regenerate blood and immune cells for patients who had received chemotherapy for cancer. In the late 1980's, doctors found success using cord blood stem cells to treat diseases that had previously been treated with bone marrow transplantation. Stem cells used for medical treatments can be obtained from bone marrow, peripheral (circulating) blood, or cord blood.

Now a part of medical treatments for four decades, different types of stem cells are being used in a wide range of treatments. Today, the ability of cord blood stem cells to repair damaged cells and tissues in the body has opened new possibilities for treating and curing some of the most serious diseases and injuries.

In an exciting new area of medicine called egenerative medicine, scientists are focusing on using cord blood stem cells for the treatment of brain injury and juvenile diabetes.