Cord blood stem cell banking?

Before you try to understand the concept of cord blood stem cell banking, you must have a basic knowledge of what cord blood is and why is it so important?

Cord blood is also known as “placental blood” and refers to the blood that remains behind in the placenta and umbilical cord after a birth. This cord blood is an excellent source of stem cells.

Stem cells are the “fundamental” cells of a body from which all body cells are created. They are essential for immunity. These cells have the ability to differentiate into specialized cells of organs such as heart, lungs and liver and function accordingly. For obvious reasons, their potential in the field of medical science is huge.

They have been found to be useful in the treatment of diseases such as leukemia, type I diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

The best part is that stem cells can be harvested from this cord blood and preserved for future use.

Now that you know what cord blood cell is and why stem cells are so important, you can understand the concept and working of a stem cell bank better.

Cord blood collection is done in the first 10 minutes after the birth. The umbilical cord is cut and removed from the new-born baby and the blood is collected. This cord blood is a very rich source of stem cells.

75ml of cord blood is sufficient to produce enough stem cells for any future use. After the cord blood has been collected, it is sent to a lab where it is processed and cryopreserved. Some processing techniques separate the red blood cells while others don’t. For the cells to survive the cryogenic process, a cryopreservant must be added to the blood unit.

The blood unit is then cooled to a temperature of -90 degree Celsius. Next, it is kept in a liquid nitrogen tank that maintains a temperature of -196 degree Celsius.

Tests for viral diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B and C are performed on the blood before it is stored.

2 types of cord blood stem cell banks exist: Public and Private

You can donate cord blood to public banks, which is then given to anyone who needs it. Private Banks are more expensive in comparison to public banks.

You should also consider preserving the cord blood of your child for future medical requirements.