Remarkable Progress Shown in Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Research.

Researchers around the world are reporting remarkable success in using umbilical cord stem cells to treat conditions as varied as spinal cord injury and leukemia.

With umbilical cord stem cell treatment, scientists in South Korea repaired the damaged spine of a 37-year-old woman who had been paralyzed for 20 years, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. Hwang Mi-Soon took a few steps at a November press conference to show her progress.

"This is already a miracle for me," Hwang told reporters, according to AFP. "I never dreamed of getting to my feet again."

Umbilical cord stem cells are derived without harming a person, unlike embryonic stem cells, which are extracted by killing a tiny human being. This case, the first known success using umbilical cord cells for spinal injury, needs to be further studied and replicated to confirm the results, researchers say.

"It is just one case and we need more experiments, more data," said researcher Oh Il-Hoon at the press conference, according to AFP. "I believe experts in other countries have been conducting similar experiments and accumulating data before making the results public."

Two studies published in the November 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine confirm that umbilical cord stem cells are very effective in treating leukemia. Leukemia patients are treated with chemotherapy or radiation that kills their diseased bone marrow cells, which then need to be replaced.

The most effective way to replace these cells is by a bone marrow transplant from a sibling. However, 80% of patients are not able to find such a match, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. These patients usually go on a list to find a compatible unrelated donor, which can take a very long time.