News

Cord Tissue Stem Cells Heal Crohn’s Disease Fistulas A new meta-analysis is highlighting the potential of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a treatment for Crohn’s-related fistulas. In New Zealand, more than 20,000 people are affected by inflammatory bowel disease, one of the highest rates in the world. The analysis pooled data from 25…

New Alzheimer’s study explores cord blood cells Researchers in China have launched a new clinical study investigating the use of cells from umbilical cord blood in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The Phase 1 study which began in July 2025 involves 30 participants. All will continue their usual Alzheimer’s medications and will be randomly assigned to…

Brain Development Doesn’t Stop at 25 Key brain wiring and network efficiency continue developing into the early 30s, according to a major new study analysing brain scans from over 4,200 people. That viral claim that the brain is “fully developed at 25” turns out to be more myth than milestone. Read more here.

Strong Friendships Slow Ageing Strong social connections may literally slow ageing at the cellular level, according to Cornell University researchers. Using DNA-based tools that measure how fast our cells are ageing, they found that people with deeper, more sustained relationships across their lifetime showed younger cellular profiles and lower chronic inflammation. It’s not about any…

Meta-Analysis Confirms Cord Blood Improves Motor Function in Cerebral Palsy A major meta-analysis published in Pediatrics pooled individual participant data from 11 clinical trials involving 498 children with cerebral palsy and found that cord blood treatment significantly improved gross motor function, with measurable gains at both 6 and 12 months. What is cerebral palsy? Cerebral palsy (CP)…

Cord Tissue Stem Cells Show Promise for Rotator Cuff Repair A new clinical trial in South Korea is testing whether cord tissue stem cells can improve healing in patients with rotator cuff injuries. In New Zealand, rotator cuff tears are the most common cause of shoulder pain in people over 35, affecting roughly 25% of…

How long does cord blood remain viable? A recent peer-reviewed study published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine examined cord blood stored for up to 29 years and found no loss in key measures of stem cell function. Based on current evidence, cord blood remains viable for decades when stored correctly, with no known expiry date. The researchers…

Baby Sister’s Cord Blood to the Rescue When two-year-old Tommy Bacon was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) – a rare cancer affecting only 1-2 children per million – his only chance of survival was a stem cell transplant. Tommy’s own cord blood had not been stored at birth. But when his baby sister Aria…

Paid Parental Leave for Grandparents in Sweden In a world first move, Sweden has introduced legislation allowing grandparents to receive paid parental leave while caring for their grandchildren.  The new law, which took effect last year, enables grandparents to step in and get paid for looking after their grandchildren for up to 3 months of…

Hope on the Horizon for Preterm Babies Australian researchers have discovered a potential new lifeline for the tiniest and most vulnerable newborns. Scientists at Monash Children’s Hospital have successfully collected and reinfused umbilical cord blood cells in extremely premature babies, offering a glimmer of hope for preventing brain injuries. This pioneering research has successfully demonstrated…

Umbilical Cord Blood for Knee Joint Cartilage Issues: A Review Umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell transplantation as a novel method for repairing knee joint cartilage has shown promising results in clinical settings, providing an effective treatment option for patients with these issues. A new review of the clinical research into the use of umbilical…

A New Frontier: Cord Blood Stem Cells in the Treatment of Crohn’s Disease A groundbreaking study has explored the potential of using autologous cord blood stem cells for treating refractory Crohn’s Disease – a condition where standard treatments fail to manage symptoms. The trial evaluated the long-term effects of using a patient’s own stored cord…

When Xiao An was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia at age 18, his parents were grateful for a decision they’d made at his birth – storing his cord blood stem cells. The teenager had suddenly developed symptoms including ulcers and blood spots. Tests revealed he had aplastic anemia, a serious autoimmune condition where the body…

New research from King’s College London in collaboration with UCL and University of Leeds suggests that food fussiness is largely genetic. For parents struggling with picky eaters, this research offers some relief, confirming that genes play a bigger role than previously thought. Lead author of the study, Zeynep Nas said he hoped the findings may…

Cord blood stem cells may hold the key to preventing Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) – a major cause of irreversible blindness in preterm newborns. ROP results from abrupt alterations in oxygen levels impacting the retina’s development. Standard treatment involves transfusions of packed red blood cells from adult donors. However, this can lead to a rapid…

A new study shows cord blood stem cell remain viable after 27 years of cryogenic storage. The research, conducted at the US based laboratory of the late cord blood pioneer Hal Broxmeyer, extends the facility’s previous findings on cord blood’s longevity, when tested at 5, 10, 15, and 23.5 years. See the study here. According…

Stem cells for glaucoma treatment? As March is NZ Glaucoma Awareness Month, it’s timely to recognise that around 2% of New Zealanders over 40 years of age have glaucoma –  a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve. Now, stem cells are being investigated as a possible treatment. Read more about this research…

Cord blood hope for prem babies A first-of-its-kind study is underway to see if cord blood cells are effective in preventing premature newborns from developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) which is relatively common in preterm infants. BPD is a breathing disorder in premature infants where the infants’ lungs become irritated and do not develop normally. It…

Could cord blood help treat long COVID? While we have been focusing on the weather emergencies here in New Zealand, COVID-19 is still very much around and we are hearing constant reports about the debilitating condition known as long Covid. Now, a Californian cord blood regenerative therapeutics company is about to enter phase two of…

Happy birthday to us! 20 years of CordBank NZ     2022 is a special year for us at CordBank: our 20th anniversary. Our co-founder, Jenni Raynish, reflects on the road she travelled to establish and grow the only service licensed to process and store cord blood right here in New Zealand.   “I first…

CordBank’s 20th Birthday – An Interview With Biz Today. Co-Founder and CEO Jenni Raynish joins Dominic Bowden on WellBeings, to celebrate CordBank’s 20th birthday. In this interview, Jenni reflects on why she co-founded CordBank here in New Zealand, the medical advancements of the last 20 years, and importantly why she wants all parents to know…

Preterm brain injury cord blood stem cell study   A PhD student at Monash University in Melbourne has been awarded the 2021 European Society for Paediatric Research Young Investigator Start Up Grant of 10,000 Euro for research on cord blood stem cell treatment for newborns with brain injury. Dr Lindsay Zhou is investigating the use…

Stem cell therapy for MS patients     Medical professionals are now using stem cells to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is an autoimmune disease which causes the body’s immune system to attack different parts of the patient’s central nervous system such as the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. Currently there is no cure…

Dogs and kids – how they can help   With a growing body of evidence that dogs can assist children, especially with issues like anxiety, scientists at Oregon State University have found that dogs do synchronise their behaviour with children in their familes, but not as much as they do with adults.   The findings…

A baby’s remarkable cord blood gift to her grandfather                     Czech woman Lucie Pinova’s father was only 60 when he suffered a serious stroke in 2018.  His life was saved but he was left with paralysis of the right side of his body and lost his…

  PREPPING FOR A HOME BIRTH…   38 weeks and we are feeling ready. I’m still working, but had my last client in the salon yesterday and starting to wind down which is really lovely. I’ve had a couple of people ask about what to prepare with planning to give birth at home so here…

6 weeks till our DD 🗓   I wanna chat about cord blood banking… It’s been super interesting the discourse around this topic in the last couple of days. I guess it’s like a lot of things with becoming a new parent or having another baby, you have to make the decision that is best…

What 26 weeks looks like…   This week we received our Cordbank kit – After sharing it on my story and receiving a few messages about it, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to share our experiences with CordBank.   Since being pregnant with Saachi, I soon realized that the option of CordBank isn’t…

How Maia’s cord blood changed her life and the lives of her family   Maia Friedlander was the first NZ child to be successfully treated with her own cord blood after suffering brain damage at birth. Thankfully her parents, Jillian and Daniel, had this option because they had saved Maia’s cord blood stem cells with…

Saving Frances’ cord blood saved her life   This is a cord blood story that is both heart-wrenching and inspirational. When Frances Everall’s family banked her cord blood with CordBank in 2002, they never dreamed it would be needed so soon and so dramatically. But at four years old their daughter was diagnosed with a…