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Cord blood is one of the richest sources of stem cells that can ever be collected much like bone marrow. It is from the umbilical cord and the placenta right after the cord has been cut. Normally cord blood is discarded after birth but with increasing knowledge to the benefits of this blood today, people are saving or donating this blood to a blood bank.
Cord blood contains stem cells that are a back up of the blood and immunity systems. Theses building blocks reproduce or differentiate into other cells. The red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body, white blood cells fight infection and platelets are necessary in the body for clotting. The cells from the cord blood can be used after treatments for a variety of cancer and blood diseases. Stem cells are also unique in the fact that they are the earliest most immature stem cells, safely available.
Cord blood banking is the process of collecting the body from the cord right after delivery when the umbilical cord is clamped and the small amount of blood from the cord is drained and then taken to the blood bank. Then the blood containing the stem cells is frozen. There has been no indication of further ageing while in storage.
Cord blood has offered a number of advantages over bone marrow. The use of the cord blood has shown that more ethnic minority patients have been able to be transplanted, plus the cost of transplants have gone down considerable compared to bone marrow transplants. Also cord blood transplants have been demonstrated to be at least as successful as bone marrow, there are many other advantages including the ease of collection.
Cord blood will become of a higher necessity in many cases. Environmental factors and chemotherapy damage can cause the blood or immune system to need a back up. Also there have been studies showing how these cells to develop and new immune system against HIV and cancer.
The stored stem cells are immediately available and require less stringent matching than bone marrow. Donation and collection can only be done at hospitals with the correct accommodations and this is currently very limited. With such limitations the price of the transplant is still rather high, yet as more resources become available in this area the cost will eventually go down.
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