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The Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

September 28, 2009 By admin

The Benefits of Cord Blood Banking

The joy of parenthood can never be equaled. That’s why parents go the distance to give their children better lives, excellent education and most importantly, enhanced security in terms of health.

Cord Blood Banking can provide that security. It gives parents that sense of protection and peace of mind that somehow, in cases when cord blood is needed to save the life of their children or even their own, it is readily available.cord_blood_banking_benefits

Cord blood is the blood in the umbilical cord, which at present, is being preserved cryogenically from birth, when authorized by parents of a newly born child. It contains stem cells, which can be used for transplantation similar to a bone marrow transplant.

Stem cells are sometimes referred to as the chief cells because they are the ones responsible for creating new tissues and in the organs of a human body.

The stem cells found in cord blood, known as haemopoietic stem cells (HSC) are the foundation of human blood, which contains the immune system of the body. These stem cells naturally replicate into:

• red blood cells
• white blood cells
• platelets

The human body generates these specialized cells through the stem cells and balances them according to a person’s body needs. In some cases of abnormality, one of these cells may be too much or too little for a body to function effectively. That is why there is a need for blood transfusion in certain diseases or in severe accidents because the human body cannot naturally generate the needed cells.

Stem cells can also be found in bone marrow and in the peripheral blood — the blood circulating inside an adult human. These stem cells’ ability to generate or differentiate into the needed cells is not as efficient as the ability of the stem cells found in the cord blood.

This is the reason why cord blood banking came into existence. Before the establishment of cord blood banks, the umbilical cord and the placenta of a newly born were just discarded.

Cord blood banking attracted attention in the late 80’s, when in 1988, the stem cells found in cord blood, saved a boy’s life through stem cell transplantation. At present, nearly 10,000 stem cell transplantations have been done in the US alone.

Although a reported 2% of transplantations fail, statistics show that 98% succeed.  Failures often are attributed to the condition of GVHD (Graft vs. Host Disease) whereby the introduced stem cells are “rejected” by the host body.

Moreover, proteins found in the human body known, as Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) can also cause such failure. HLA determine the compatibility of donor’s tissue with that of the patient. However, these are rare cases.

Thus, cord blood banking facilitates for the convenience of having a ready supply of cord blood. Whether it is a public, private non-profit or a commercial cord blood bank, they all have the same goal, to provide a steady supply of cord blood to people who are in dire need of this precious discovery of humankind.

As the number of people, especially parents are now aware how valuable cord blood is, the cost and expenses that they may entail for its storage in a cord blood bank is so small a price to pay for the opportunity of saving the life of a loved one.

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What you Need to Know About Cord Blood Banking

September 15, 2009 By admin

What you Need to Know About Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood is a main source of stem cells. Bone marrow is also a good source of stem cells and bone marrow transplants have become increasingly useful for treatment in stem cell related problems. Need To Know Cord Blood Banking

Cord blood is blood that is in the umbilical cord after the baby is born and it contains stem cells used to save people’s lives. The umbilical cord blood is processed and stored in a cord blood bank for any future transplant of stem cells.

The cord blood is tested first before being cryopreserved at the cord blood bank. It has to meet specific requirements of the blood bank to be acceptable. If the umbilical cord blood meets the eligibility requirements, it is then stored in a special bag and cryopreserved at the the cord blood bank.

Cord blood banks can provide public storage or private storage. The public cord blood banks use their stored cord blood to donate to hospitals and doctors. Donors are matched with cord blood according to the medical history of the family.

Extracting the cord blood from the umbilical cord is not painful to either the mother or the baby. The cord blood is taken after the umbilical cord is cut, and it is important to use this valuable tissue rather than throw it away. This same cord blood helps cure deadly diseases like cancer, leukemia, brain tumors, plasma cell disorders, renal cell carcinoma, phagocyte disorders, histiocytic disorders, congenital immune system disorders and other stem cell disorders.

Saving the cord blood from the baby’s umbilical cord can also help to save your own family because no one knows what will happen in the future. The umbilical cord blood is a perfect match to your baby and up to twenty five percent for all siblings.

If your plan is to keep the cord blood for your child, you must research the requirements of what is needed to privately bank your stem cells. You also need to know how the cord blood is stored. Make sure that the blood bank is associated with the American Association of Blood Banks. Checking on the financial outlook of the blood bank you select is also important as this says a lot about whether your cord blood will be safe or not.

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Stem Cell Preservation: Why Is It Important?

August 25, 2009 By admin

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.

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Stem Cell Preservation: Behind the Controversy

July 23, 2009 By admin

Stem Cell Preservation: Behind the Controversy

Currently there are 70 diseases that are treatable with stem cells. A generation ago or a decade ago, these diseases presented a poor prognosis for those diagnosed with them. Today, there is hope in stem cell preservation and stem cell research, but stem cell research is a controversial topic and an end to the debate is nowhere in sight. So what exactly is at debate? Why are emotions so torn when stem cell preservation could save lives?Stem Cell Preservation Controversy

There are two types of stem cells: adult and embryonic. Adult stem cells can be found in the bone marrow of the adult. Harvesting and preserving adult stem cells are not controversial. Instead, people embrace this research and look to it with hope. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, present a host of ethical concerns and issues sometimes disturbing the public.

Why? While it’s true that stem cells can be harvested from the umbilical cord, these stem cells are adult stem cells. In order to harvest embryonic stem cells, an in vitro procedure is performed which ultimately destroys the embryo and all chances for its survival. This lethal procedure is what is at the heart of the stem cell preservation debate. So why don’t scientists concentrate on harvesting adult stem cells and leave the embryonic ones alone?

Adult Stem Cells vs. Embryonic Stem Cells
Not all stem cells are created equal. There are actually three classifications of stem cells each with its own healing powers. For the purpose of this article, we are going to focus on two such classifications.

Embryonic stem cells are the most commonly used stem cells. Why? They are totipotent meaning that they are able to reproduce every type of cell found in the body. They are even capable of forming and entire organism. These cells are the miraculous life savers that offer the most hope to patients dying of certain diseases. Embryonic stem cells also inhibit the body’s immune response which means that there is less chance of rejection after a transplant.

Adult stem cells are multipotent which means that they are able to reproduce only a limited number of cell types. This means that their use in finding certain cures is limited. They are also difficult to harvest and pose many concerns including rejection.

There is no doubt that embryonic stem cell preservation can save lives, but is it at the cost of a human life. Granted, harvesting of stem cells occurs when the embryo is still a collection of cells.  But then the debate rages. When does life begin?

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Cord Blood Storage: Medical Cure on Ice

June 21, 2009 By admin

Cord Blood Storage: Medical Cure on Ice

There are mixed opinions about cord blood because of the media attention on stem cell research and treatment.  Important issues of ethics, genetic disorders associated with family history and ethnicity surface in discussions about stem cell cord blood.

When harvesting cord blood donations to be stored, the recipient’s compatibility is an essential part of equation.

Cord Blood Storage Medical CureThe ease of obtaining cord blood as opposed to bone marrow makes it convenient. This makes it more readily available for the cord blood donor than the bone marrow donor and makes the process of retrieving easier.

Cord blood storage benefits all races and ethnic groups.  The most important advantage in storing cord blood is the availability at the time when someone’s life needs to be saved. Cord blood that is already stored at the cord blood bank may be used for transplants and to help treat some diseases.

There is no pain associated with umbilical cord blood collecting to either mother or child.  Due to the compatibility of cord blood cell to family members, cord blood storage is becoming more widely used.

Some cord blood storage banks run by private companies charge thousands of dollars to hold the umbilical cord blood and a fee up to $150 for annual maintenance.

Some private cord blood storage companies also charge for the cord blood collection kit, charge to have a courier pick it up and charge the initial processing procedure at the storage facility.

Cord blood storage addresses the possible need and continued demand for help in treating diseases and as an additional method of saving lives. In cases of emergencies, cord blood storage facilities may be the saving grace of many people seeking treatment. Although doctors are at the beginning stages of experience with stem cells, some have begun to look to cord blood storage facilities for help.

Cord blood storage banks are required to store blood in vials or in bags. This storage method is important to keep the blood safe from contamination. Cord blood storage banks also can help viability by placing cord blood in smaller quantities or samples to make specimens available to more people.

Cord blood storage provides a quicker way to get help for patients who are in poor health conditions. These cord blood storage facilities can store blood long-term.  Preservation of the cord blood sample is important to the cord blood storage and so professional care is taken to make sure that it is stored properly.

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Cord Blood Storage: Should You Do It?

June 13, 2009 By admin

Cord Blood Storage: Should You Do It?

Cord blood storage is a controversial topic with intelligent, informed opponents on both sides of the debate. This debate makes it very difficult for parents to make an informed decision regarding their own baby’s cord blood. Should you store your baby’s cord blood as a protection against future diseases, or is the process overly encouraged by medical researchers and the media?

Cord Blood Storage Should You Do ItWhile no one can tell you to invest in cord blood storage or not to, you owe it to yourself to know all the facts before you pass on the opportunity. Here are some key facts that will help you make an informed decision:

• Thousands upon thousands of stem cell transplants are performed each year on patients using their own cord blood. Diseases treated with cord blood include many types of cancers including leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and tumors. Thousands more transplants are performed on family members using a relative’s cord blood.

• There is a 1 in 435 chance that your baby will need his or her own cord blood within his/her lifetime. There is a 1 in 400 chance that a family member will benefit from a relative’s cord blood storage. Keep in mind that this is the current likelihood. As more research is performed, more uses for stem cells will be developed.

• One in 630 children will develop cancer before they reach the age of fifteen.

• New studies have shown a wide range of use for cord blood and stem cells. In fact, many researchers believe that stem cells can be used to reverse brain damage sustained in a stroke or traumatic accident.

If there are so many advantages associated with cord blood storage, why aren’t more people doing it? There simply are not enough public banks to accept donations and private banks have a cost. Cord blood storage involves long-term cold storage, and there aren’t enough facilities offering this type of storage to accommodate all cord blood banking requests. In fact, only 30% of cord blood that qualifies for banking actually gets banked due to limited space and resources.

At the end of the day, you owe it to yourself to investigate all of the facts and opportunities available to you regarding cord blood storage. Research cord blood banks and make an informed decision after all of the facts are in.

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Cord Blood Storage: Protection for the Future

May 11, 2009 By admin

Cord Blood Storage: Protection for the Future

If you are in the process of trying to preserve your child’s umbilical cord blood, you need to know how effective these methods are and how stem cells are preserved. Cord blood storage is a costly procedure, so finding out details before you proceed is important.Cord Blood Storage Protection For Future

In the process of cold blood storage, the umbilical cord blood is stored in a special bag or a syringe and taken to a blood bank. The health professional will then label the bag or syringe with the donor’s name, birth date and any other relevant facts. The blood is then assigned a registration number to identify it. After that the umbilical cord blood is sent to a processing laboratory to undergo a cryopreservation process.

At the storage lab, the blood temperature is reduced slowly so that it does not go into temperature shock. The reduction will read no less than -190 degrees. After the temperature of the umbilical cord blood is reduced, the blood then goes to a liquid nitrogen tank to keep the temperature steadily at -190 degrees.  As long as the cord blood is stored and preserved correctly in these different forms of storages, it can potentially last forever.

If you donate the umbilical cord blood to a public bank, the stem cells may be used for saving the lives of others. This storage will cost you nothing, and it may save a life because doctors and researchers can pull from these banks to find cures and treat patients in need. But, however, there is a shortage of public cord blood banks. Most facilities are at their capacity and many donors are turned away because there just isn’t any room or resources to store more cord blood. More funding is desperately needed so that research and storage can be expanded.

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