Stem Cell Preservation: Why Is It Important?

Stem Cells are referred to as progenitor cells meaning that they form the origin for different forms of adult cells. A broad classification of stem cells can be made into two types:

• Embryonic stem cells are found in a budding embryo and help in forming tissues as they differentiate.
• Adult stem cells are mainly repair cells that help in repair and regeneration of lost cells.

The capacity of stem cells to differentiate into adult cells have been utilized in modern day medicine to control and cure diseases, many of which were thought incurable a few years ago. Stem cells have helped in generating a cure for an astonishing 70 diseases and the list is growing every day. Stem Cell Preservation Why Important

There is controversy and opposition from several quarters to the use of embryonic stems cells, both for therapy as well as for scientific purposes. This is because to isolate the embryonic stem cells, the embryo may have to be destroyed. For this reason, adult stem cells are preferred for use. These are harvested either through the bone marrow or from blood drawn through the umbilical cord during child birth. The placenta is another source for the stem cells.

These days due to the advent of newer methods of therapy using stem cells, there are many stem cell banks that have emerged all over the world which deal in stem cell preservation. There are many public and private cord blood banks available. Public cord blood banks do not preserve the stem cells for the particular person from whom they are being derived but hold it for public use, as in organ banks. A private cord blood bank performs stem cell preservation for the use of the family undertaking this service, for a particular fee.

The cord blood and the placenta that is available during the delivery of a child contains viable stem cells if the collected blood is of an adequate quantity (about 75ml at least). This collection is performed by the medical team involved in the child delivery and sent by prior arrangement in a specialized bag to the cord blood bank for processing and stem cell preservation.

Once the bags containing the blood and the placenta reach the cord blood bank, they undergo various processes for disinfection, processing to obtain the stem cells, and addition of a cryopreservative to help the stem cells remain viable. The processing of the cord blood is done either by a separation of red blood cells or by keeping them intact with the specimen.

The blood derived from the mother before delivery and the cord blood are both tested for the presence of communicable diseases. After the preservative is added, the process of stem cell preservation is begun by a slow cooling process which is necessary to maintain the stem cells intact. This slow cooling is performed by maintaining the temperature first at -90 degrees and then slowly to -190 degrees by placing the stem cells in liquid nitrogen.

The stem cell preservation in liquid nitrogen helps cells remain useful for therapy in the future. This process of stem cell preservation not only helps the individual to fight some disorder if it arises, but it also helps other members in the family too if they need the stem cells for therapy.

How Popular is Cord Blood Banking?

August 12, 2009 By admin

How Popular is Cord Blood Banking?

If you’re pregnant or have had a baby within the past decade, you have likely read all of the advertisements encouraging storing your baby’s umbilical cord blood in public and private banks as an insurance policy against future disease and illness. And like some parents, you probably passed up the opportunity. While cord blood banking has proven its worth in the health and science fields, parents are sometimes likely to pass than to jump on the chance to bank their baby’s cord blood.
How Popular Is Cord Blood Banking
Why? More than 90% of families do not have access to a public cord blood bank and private banks are costly. Other factors may affect the ability of parents to bank their baby’s cord blood. Families with risk factors such as maternal exposure to viruses, tattoos, and recent international travel may find that their donations are not accepted by public banks. In fact, only 30% of donated cord blood actually ends up in a bank due to eligibility requirements.

This is unfortunate because the benefits of cord blood banking are real and evident. The following statistics will show you just how important cord blood banking and stem cell research are for the future:

• Thousands of stem cell transplants are performed every year to treat diseases such as lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia and tumors.
• Some reports say there is a 1 in 200 chance that your baby or another family member will benefit from banking your baby’s blood.
• Cancer research is dependent on an abundant supply of stem cells. It is here that a cure for cancer may be found.
• One in 630 children will be diagnosed with cancer before they reach the age of fifteen.
• Cancer rates continue to rise and there is no end in sight.

Cord blood banking offers hope for families facing cancer and other diseases. While most families do not underestimate the benefits of cord blood banking, they may fail to bank their baby’s blood because they lack the resources to do so. In fact, many donations are turned away because blood banks are at their maximum capacity. Private banks are an option, but many families feel they cannot afford this expense.

To fix this problem, more funding is needed to expand cord blood banking resources. As research and funding expands, there will likely be more uses found for cord blood. There are already studies that show that stem cells can be used to grow neural tissue which can repair brain damage. This is very exciting news for the medical community and for those facing these and other life altering illnesses.