Details On Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
Scientists have known about umbilical cord stem cells for many years but it has only been recognized for its full potential in recent years. Cord blood is still in the placenta and the umbilical cord after the child is born and the cord is detached. This blood contains stem cells that can be used to treat a variety of genetic disorders because umbilical cord blood contains haemopoietic stem cells that have the ability to repopulate bone marrow. In fact, it’s been determined that the umbilical cord is a very rich source for stem cells that can be used in many different medical treatments.
These cells are different from adult stem cells, used in adult stem cell research, in several ways. First of all, the umbilical cord stem cells have less exposure to aging and viruses and they contain higher rates of proliferation, which simply means they can multiply quickly. It’s been proven they are safe to use in humans by the many medical treatments that have already taken place throughout the years with great success. In the past, cord blood stem cells were simply discarded with the umbilical cord but since their full potential is becoming clearer all the time, new measures are being put in place to store cord blood for future use. A process called cord blood banking was put into place as a way for these cells to be saved and stored so they can be used for medical proposes in the future. They are placed in liquid nitrogen vapor and stored in a facility until needed. Two types of cord blood banks were created for this purpose and they are described as being the private and the public cord blood bank. If a family decides to have this cord blood saved and stored it will be placed in the family’s private bank where it will stay until it’s needed by a member of the family. This process is simple, safe and provides many benefits.
Umbilical cord stem cells that are placed in the public banks are donated anonymously and these can be used to help anyone that has a need for them. Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat certain types of diseases and many injuries. A stem cell transplant is simply the process in which healthy stem cells are placed in the body so they can multiply and help repair the damage caused by a disease or injury. In this case, the stem cord cells that were taken from the umbilical cord are used in the transplants. These cells have been used successfully in stem cell treatments for cancer. Some leukemia patients have recovered because these cells have the ability to help your body make red and white blood cells. They can also help reduce the risk of excessive bleeding, anemia and life threatening infections. Umbilical cord stem cells are less prone to rejection when used in transplants. It’s believed this is because the stem cells found in the umbilical cord are not fully developed and they don’t have the feature that recognizes the host as being a threat so, they don’t attack the patient’s immune system.
For this reason, they are often a better option than using the stem cells that are taken from bone marrow. Plus, there is no pain involved in obtaining them. More studies will surely reveal more ways in which the umbilical cord stem cells can help patients with serious diseases and illnesses in the future.
