Articles on Cord Blood Banking and Stem Cell Research

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Blood Cord Bank: An introduction to cord blood stem cells

Finding a source of primitive stem cells. There are news reports about the positive impact that research on cord blood stem cells is having on the possible cure for numerous life threatening diseases. But with so many varying reports about it or even factions it is impossible to keep track of all its useful facts. Stem cells show a great level of plasticity which means they can generate and regenerate into many different types of cells and even organs within the our body. Potentially, if they can be removed from the donor and transfused into the patient then in the future, stem cells could be used to cure virtually any illness.

Stem cells are more frequently found in babies or even in embryos although it has been discovered that ***** stem cells do exist. To date these have mostly been found in the brain but are dispersed freely amongst millions of other cells making the extraction incredibly difficult.
Cord blood stem cells, on the other hand, are very easy to remove. Because the process is completed after the child has been born and the umbilical cord cut and clamped there is no effect whatsoever on the baby, the parent or the birth itself.

Stem cell testing. The umbilical cord stem cell matrix is called Wharton's jelly and is rich in primitive stem cells. These cells are one that has yet to progress, transform or produce other cells. Primitive stem cells are the most effective type of stem cells that can be used in a transfusion on any patient.

Typically a lot of testing has been done on animals to prove the viability of using stem cells taken from cord blood of newborn babies and amongst the most prominent of these tests, according to the online journal "stem cells", have been tests carried out on pigs.

In a human blood cord, similar to a pig umbilical cord, two arteries & vein are found and tests have shown positive results concerned with the storage and potency of the blood. The journal "stem cells" contains a lot of data relating to stem cells and articles on various related topics.
At present leukemia and anemia are the two most common diseases treated with stem cell transfusions although since stem cell research has grown in volume and results diseases such as Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis and many different forms of cancer are also showing positive results.

How stem cells become T cells. T cells are the cells that are responsible for fighting infection in children and are created when stem cells pass through the thymus gland. If the patient does not have an adequate number of effective stem cells in their blood then they will not be able to create the T cells. And subsequently they are much more likely to suffer serious infections. This, in turn, means that cord blood stem cells can be used to recreate T cells as well as other vital cells within the body of your child. The stem cells will then create an army of T cells to fight off infection and leave the body to function in a normal manner.

As with a blood transfusion it is imperative to the operation's success that the stem cells transfused are of the same type as the patient's own blood. Using cord blood stem cells belonging to the patient themselves all but guarantees that this will be the case.


For more articles and information visit
Cord Blood Stem Cell (http://www.blood-cord-bank.com)

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What are blood stem cells?

Blood cord banking is becoming a much more utilized commodity for many parents wanting to improve their children's future care, but it is important that you know all the facts and figures before proceeding. Previously the only way for doctors and hospitals to obtain blood stem cells was through a bone marrow donation made by a matching donor. Unfortunately, though, only half of the people who require these donations are ever able to find an appropriate donor while the remaining patients are left with no other method of treatment.

Blood stem cells are found in bone marrow and are responsible for creating blood. Recent studies have shown, however, that these blood stem cells are also present in the umbilical cord of newborn children. A perfect match needs to be found to give patients a greater chance of success during transplants. It makes sense, therefore, that the storage and potential future use of the blood stem cells found in your own umbilical cord gives you a vastly improved chance of success, and you will always have a viable donor at hand. The blood stem cells found in umbilical cord blood are even more primitive that those in bone marrow so have greater uses and have especially been linked with regenerating a patient's immune system.

Is it safe?

Possibly the first question on most parent's lips is whether the removal of the blood stem cells from a newborn baby's umbilical cord will cause any damage. The answer is that the removal of the stem cells from the umbilical cord is a relatively straightforward and entirely harmless procedure that does not put either mother or baby at risk in any way. This is probably the big pro of stem cells and their removal for storage.

What can you do with stem cells?

This is a question that has sparked years of stem cell and umbilical cord research in many institutions across various different countries. The list of possible uses for blood stem cells is growing on a very regular basis as more clinical trials and further research is conducted. There are already a respectable list of diseases that can be treated with blood stem cells, some of them fatal, and an even longer list of treatments that are currently being researched or are under experimental trial. Cancers such as leukemia use transplants as their primary source of treatment and blood stem cells from umbilical cords are an excellent resource.

Future uses of blood cord banking.

There is currently a long list of potential uses that are being investigated either through clinical trials or with experimental treatments. Using the blood stem cells out of a patient's umbilical cord is under clinical trial for patients who are suffering from breast cancer and things are looking positive for this and a large number of other deadly diseases. Essentially any disease that can be treated through a transplant in bone marrow should also be treatable using the stem cells found in the umbilical cord.


Some pros and cons of blood cord banking.

As with any breakthrough treatment there are always cons as well as pros, and the same is true of blood cord banking. The storage of the blood and, therefore, the blood stem cells is more costly than using a bone marrow transplant. With a bone marrow transplant, the bone marrow does not need to be stored but this does mean patients can be put on a long waiting list while a suitable donor is located and the transplant is arranged. Umbilical cord blood needs to be frozen and stored in a blood cord bank, often for many years at a time and it is the responsibility of the parent to find a suitable bank and to pay the storage fees. However, if your child does ever need a blood stem cell transplant there will be no waiting list and the transplant can be completed almost immediately.

Conclusion on blood cord banking.

Blood cord banking is a possibility that many parents have already turned to, and by doing so you could be providing your child or children with the future treatment they require for some fatal diseases. It is also obvious that it holds the key to curing a number of other diseases and it seems it is only a matter of time before it becomes much more standard practice to take umbilical cord blood from babies as they are born.

Find out more about cord blood banking... (http://www.blood-cord-bank.com/An_introduction_to_cord_blood_stem_cells.html)