Includes the recent issue of Stem Cells Under the Microscope which covers cord blood stem cells in the use of congenital heart defect.

The New York Times reports today that European physicians have successfully transplanted a human windpipe using the recipient's own bone marrow stem cells to reline a donor trachea, thus preventing its rejection by her immune system. Using a new technique developed in Milan, physicians incubated stem cells removed from the patient's bone marrow, growing them into "a large population" which was then used to "seed" the donated windpipe. This is yet another interesting use of autologous stem cells, demonstrating their quickening pace of use in regenerative medicine.

Children born with heart defects could someday get new valves using stem cells from their own umbilical cord blood.

(Bloomberg) -- Umbilical cord blood, rich in stem cells, may provide raw material to repair the hearts of thousands of babies born each year with defective heart valves, according to researchers.

The SF Business Times published an article highlighting CBR's Wendy Grant as the founder of the nation's first cord blood bank and as the creator of an industry.

In recent studies, researchers at Tulane University have found that injecting human stem cells into the brains of stroke-induced mice triggers immune cells to produce chemicals that protect nerve cells, thereby reducing swelling and scarring.

A front-page article published today about Chloe Levine and the progress she made since an infusion of her own cord blood stem cells to treat cerebral palsy.

A side article published that clarifies the different types of stem cells and variety of stem cell therapies.

Study provides hope for a potential treatment for the repair of hearing impairments with the use of cord blood blood stem cells.

The article reports about the use of embryonic stem cells to create red blood cells. The article also notes that bone marrow and cord blood stem cells can be used to make red blood cells.

An article published about a local girl who underwent a sibling cord blood transplant to treat leukemia, following an unsuccessful search for a bone marrow donor. This was the first sibling cord blood transplant in Hawaii.

Cord Blood Can Be Used To Treat Adult Leukemia

Haller's Type 1 diabetes study was highlighted in this week's issue of Stem Cell Week - which offers additional insights into cord blood's potential mechanism of action in T1D and the latest scientific research supporting continued study in this area. Several media outlets also highlighted cord blood's potential as a possible treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease based on recent animal studies.

In a news release issued today, Cord Blood Registry forecasts significant growth in the cord blood banking business for the remainder of 2008, based on first quarter results. The company reported client enrollments in the first quarter were up 24 percent from the previous quarter ended December 2007. In 2007, the market for cord blood banking also grew an estimated 15 percent.

Lifetime Health Corner, a health program on the Lifetime cable network, aired a segment about cord blood banking. The segment emphasizes the difficulty that ethnic minorities face when searching for a bone marrow donor within the public system. Dr. Jeffrey Thurston, a Texas based ob-gyn, states ethnic minorities and those of mixed ethnicity should have particular interest in storing their children's cord blood in a family bank.

Pennsylvania passed legislation requiring healthcare providers to educate pregnant patients about umbilical cord blood stem cell banking and donation.

A study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology meeting reported on the use of autologous bone marrow stem cells to treat patients with Parkinson's disease.

The Trenton Times published an article about the importance of cord blood education for all expectant parents.

TIME.com posted an article about cord blood preservation options and the current and future applications of cord blood stem cells.

Medical News Today, the largest independent health and medical news Web site on the Internet, posted the content from CBR's Stem Cells: Under the Microscope on the subject of cord blood stem cells and cardiovascular disease.