Cord Blood
Of all the amazing advances made within the last several years in the field of medical technology, the emergence of cord blood stem cell therapy may be one of the most interesting and promising. Anyone who has paid attention to the news over the course of the last decade has heard of, and may even have an opinion of the use of stem cells to treat diseases. Procedures, which make use of cord blood, are not as well publicized, and this type of stem cell extraction, because it has been less publicized, can be misunderstood. Following are some interesting, if not well-known, facts about cord blood and its uses, potential or otherwise.
Cord Blood Definition
Cord blood is the blood left over inside a baby’s umbilical cord after the process of birth has been completed. Much like bone marrow, it contains a kind of stem cell, which can be used later to treat various diseases. The process of cord blood banking allows people to store this valuable resource for later use. If it is not stored, it is simply disposed of by the hospital.
Cord Blood Banking
There is only one, brief opportunity for each newborn baby to have his or her cord blood saved, and that opportunity is only available immediately after the birth of the child. If this procedure is not taken advantage of immediately, the hospital will discard the cord blood, never to be retrieved. The process is quite simple and painless, and only takes a few minutes. Once collected, the blood is stored cryogenically, and is available for use at any time it may be needed in the future.
The Differences Between Cord Blood Stem Cells and Other Stem Cells
There has been a great deal of controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells and their usage, and the debate is seemingly never-ending. It is important to note that stem cells derived from cord blood are not, in fact, embryonic. The stem cells, which come from cord blood, are younger and capable of different applications than marrow derived stem cells, plus they are available for immediate use once they have been extracted and frozen. The freezing process not only keeps them available indefinitely for future family use, it prevents the cells from being damaged by the environment, and it stops them from deteriorating with age. Cord blood stem cells are also less likely to cause complications in certain medical procedures.
Treatments Which Can Benefit From The Use of Cord Blood
Cord blood has been effectively used in the field of transplants for two over decades, plus it has been used to treat cancers such as leukemia, as well as various disorders of the blood. Other life-threatening diseases can be treated with cord blood, also. Regenerative medicine, which is able to use stem cells to produce new cells, is the most recent arena in which this blood is being used.
People Who Are Able To Be Treated With Cord Blood Stem Cells
The person most likely to be treated successfully with cord blood is the individual who supplied the blood as a newborn. Given the fact that the blood came from them, specifically, it will probably have a more positive impact, plus they are much less likely to suffer a negative reaction. That is not to say that other family members cannot make use of it, however. Siblings are usually the best match other than the original donor, and its possible for any family member to be a compatible match, though this is not guaranteed.
In the realm of medical technology, the future is here right now. To some, the use of stem cells embryonic or otherwise might seem like some far-off, science-fiction dream. To others, hearing the term, “stem cells” causes a visceral, negative reaction. With medicine changing so quickly, it is crucial to understand the facts about new treatments and their efficacy. There is immense promise today that did not exist just a few years ago for those who suffer from certain diseases, and stem cell research is at the cutting edge of the new medical movement. Cord blood can produce stem cells free of controversy, and since they would typically be discarded anyway, it makes good sense to pursue their continued use.