How Important is Umbilical Cord Blood

Topic: Regenerative Medicine
Author: Apurva
Published: 2009/01/11 - Updated: 2009/02/27
Contents: Summary - Introduction - Main Item - Related Topics

Synopsis: Umbilical cord blood is the blood that is found in the umbilical cord and the placenta.

Introduction

Umbilical cord blood is the blood that is found in the umbilical cord and the placenta. It is extracted immediately after the delivery of the baby. This blood is rich in stem cells. Stem cells are the architects of your body. They have the capability of creating new blood cells, brain cells, etc. They can adjust to the body anytime and start repairing or replenishing the old cells.

Main Item

Umbilical cord blood is the blood that is found in the umbilical cord and the placenta. It is extracted immediately after the delivery of the baby.

This blood is rich in stem cells. Stem cells are the architects of your body. They have the capability of creating new blood cells, brain cells, etc. They can adjust to the body anytime and start repairing or replenishing the old cells.

Stem cells can give the scientist a treasure of information about various diseases and birth defects. With a detailed study, the reasons behind various genetic diseases and deformities can be unearthed. The specialty of the stem cells lies in their ability to multiple several times and creates whichever cell the body needs.

Diseases That Can Be Treated With Stem Cells

More than 70 diseases can be treated with the help of the umbilical cord blood cells.

Some of them are as follows:

Bone Marrow Failure Disorders like Aplastic Anemia (Severe), Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia, Pure Red Cell Aplasia, etc

Hemoblobinopathies like Beta Thalassemia Major and Sickle Cell Disease

Histiocytic Disorders like Hemophagocytosis

Inherited Immune System Disorders like Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome, Reticular Dysgenesis, Chronic Granulomatous Disease, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, etc

Inherited Metabolic Disorders like Gaucher Disease, Krabbe Disease, Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome, Tay Sachs, Wolman Disease, etc

Leukemias and Lymphomas like Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, Adult T Cell Leukemia, Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, Polymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia etc

Plasma Cell Disorders like Plasma Cell Leukemia, Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, etc.

Other Inherited Disorders like Cartilage-Hair Hypoplasia, DiGeorge Syndrome, Osteopetrosis, etc.

Extensive research is being conducted the benefits of cord blood stem cells in ailments like Brain tumor, Ovarian cancer, Small cell lung cancer, testicular cancer, Rheumatoid Arthritis, spinal injury, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Muscular Dystrophy, etc.

Cord Blood Vs Bone Marrow Transplants

Why do we need to preserve the cord blood

Bone marrow stem cells should be enough. Well, there are still debates on this issue. There is one point that everyone agrees with. That is, umbilical cord blood has more stem cells than the bone marrow does.

On the other hand, unlike the cord blood, adult donor blood is not limited by quantity. However, cord blood stem cells are more flexible compared to the bone marrow cells. Very rarely is it seen that a patient's body has rejected the cord blood stem cells.

Cord Blood Banks

Cord blood banking is increasing in popularity over the past few years. Two types of banks specialize in umbilical cord blood collection and preservation- Public Cord Blood Bank and the Private Cord Blood Bank.

Public Cord Blood Banking services are free. Here you can preserve your child's stem cells. However, a point to note is if you plan to preserve the blood specifically for your family, you will be unable to do so in a public cord blood bank.

Here it is more like a donation for the well-being of the society and research. Private blood banks are expensive. Nevertheless, here you can preserve the stem cells just for your family use.

Reference: Umbilical cord blood is very important because the stem cells of cord blood can be used for treatment of many deadly diseases. It is therefore important to preserve cord blood in a cord blood bank also known as cord blood registry. cordblood-banking.org provides answers to all questions that you could have about cord blood banking.

Explore Related Topics

1 - - A groundbreaking code of practice has been introduced for the use of stem cell-based embryo models in research.

2 - - Human pluripotent stem cells in a lab can initiate a process resembling the gastrulation phase - where cells begin differentiating into new cell types - much earlier than occurs in mother nature.

3 - - A tiny EEG electrode cap was created to measure activity in an organoid brain model the size of a pen dot to lead to a better understanding of neural disorders and how chemicals affect the brain.

4 - - Solely from stem cells, without egg, sperm or womb, synthetic mouse embryo models were created.

5 - - A multi-institutional effort is taking steps to develop an effective technique to regenerate photoreceptors cells and restore sight in people with vision disorders.

Complete List of Related Information

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): Apurva. (2009, January 11 - Last revised: 2009, February 27). How Important is Umbilical Cord Blood. Disabled World. Retrieved October 7, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/news/research/stemcells/cord-blood.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/news/research/stemcells/cord-blood.php">How Important is Umbilical Cord Blood</a>: Umbilical cord blood is the blood that is found in the umbilical cord and the placenta.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.