Human umbilical cord blood cells appear to protect astrocytes from cell death:
Human umbilical cord blood cells used to treat cultured rat brain cells deprived of oxygen appear to protect astrocytes from cell death after stroke-like damage, reports a team of researchers from the University of South Florida Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair.
The FDA has approved the first ever umbilical cord blood product for use in stem-cell transplants.