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Stem cells from cord blood?

Question
Hello,
our first child suffers from CF, and we are expecting our second child (healthy carrier). One reads again and again about advertisment for freezing of cord blood after birth.
Do you see a potentially advantage in the (far) future of cord blood respectively cord blood stem cells of a healthy baby concerning the illness of CF of the sibling?
Many thanks for your answer!
Answer
Dear questioner,
CF is an illness, that does not mainly play a role mailny in the blood building system. Stem- and progentior cells from cord blood are frequently presented as potentially new prophylactic or therapeutic options for many illnesses of the blood building system. However also other illnesses are in focus. There are no studies known to me where cord blood stem cells have been transferred into patients with CF.
However there are lung diseases, where such therapies with application of cord blood stem cells (human umbilical cord blood-derived-mesenchymal stromal cell (hUCB)) into the airway system have been tried. With changing success. In case of preterm babies with lung damage it has been judged positively. In case of other lung diseases this was not the case. Freezing of stem cells of siblings can actually not be recommended. You ask about the future: in the future, in my opinion, one will be able to renounce such therapies as one will be successfull in editing genes and will be able to produce stem cells out of any cell in the body.
Best regards,
Olaf Eickmeier
05.03.2018