A baby genetically selected his brother through a transplant of stem cells from umbilical cord heals.
Spain, March 2012.- eight-year-old patient recovers favourably in Barcelona after receiving the transplant of umbilical cord of a sister genetically selected for its cure, which is the first case of this kind in Catalonia, according to reports from the IVI Group (largest group of assisted reproduction European)(to which belongs the IVIDA cord blood bank).
The child suffers from adrenoleukodystrophy, a neurological disease that damages the nervous system, with the consequent progressive degeneration of the motor and adrenal cortex, and whose only possible cure is a transplant of marrow from a compatible person.
After years searching unsuccessfully for a compatible donor, parents away opted in 2009 by starting a treatment of genetic selection of embryos in the IVI Barcelona Centre, in order to illuminate another son that was compatible with his brother.
After achieving the authorization of the Administration in June 2010, the specialists of the IVI selected an embryo with the same DNA that away!, which were almost a year ago two twins, Noah and Leire.
Cord and cord of one of the twin cells transplanted successfully to away on 28 October in the Hospital of Sant Pau in Barcelona.
“Evolution is slow but friendly, and expected that between 5 and 6 months can be made by curing”, explained the director of IVI Barcelona, AgustÃn Ballesteros EfE.
Although still missing a few months to make sure that the process has completed successfully, there are “likely” away! “ultimate cure” enjoyment of his illness, according to Ballesteros.
The birth of Noah and Leire is the first case in Catalonia and the second in Spain of babies who are born as a result of genetic selection of embryos to cure sick siblings.
Since the 2006 law, which protects the genetic selection of embryos in Spain, only two cases of healing babies have given: the first was born at the hospital Virgen del RocÃo in Seville in 2009 and the last, in the Andalusian Centre, last Saturday.
About IVIDA
IVIDA is the Bank of lVI umbilical cord leading European in reproductive medicine with 22 clinics and presence in 8 countries. IVIDA offers an integral service of preservation of umbilical cord, giving the possibility to families retain the sample of the newborn in the public bank located at the headquarters in Madrid or in the private bank located in the headquarters of Lisbon. IVI, with more than 20 years in the service of reproduction, IVIDA patients guarantees the absolute control of the whole process, from the collection of the sample to the freezing of the same.
