Banking of umbilical cord blood

As the baby is born and the umbilical cord is separated, the blood can accumulate from the cord segment still connected to the placenta. Stem cells extracted from the blood in the remaining part of the placenta and the umbilical cord is known as "umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells." This blood, which is not useful either to the child or mother and has been considered as medical desecrate for centuries, is a rich cause of stem cells.

UCB stem cells are exclusive and have several promising applications for the future. As these cells are immature, in allogeneic produce a weakened donor-derived immune response and therefore have a lower incidence of graft versus host compared to other sources of bone marrow stem cells (or peripheral cells). The collection method is simple and without risk to the donor (child or mother). Nothing like developing stem cells, these are not ethically contentious.

Despite many benefits, umbilical cord blood stem cells have some limitations. It requires suitable collection, dispensation and storage, and a solo UCB stem cell element has continued to be a limiting factor for adult receptor stem cell. Similarly, UCB of a patient may not be of use in various cases because the antecedent of the disease could also be present in UCB stem cells.

Umbilical cord blood can be kept in the subsequent two ways. 1) Private UCB banks where UCB of a newborn is saved at a specified cost and can only be used by the child or his family when needed. 2) Public UCB banks are like the blood banks wherein the pregnant woman can put her name down for free, and anyone who needs them can use it for a certain fee.

UCB's private banking is only recommended in some cases, for example, when the parents of the newborn carry mutations linked to genetic blood disorders, the immune system, or congenital metabolic defects. Private banking of umbilical cord blood is indicative when an older brother suffers from one of these diseases that might be eligible for UCB stem cell transplantation.