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Home >Stem Cells: What and Why?
Stem Cells: What and Why?
An Introduction to Umbilical Cord Blood stem Cells and Cord Blood Banking
What are Stem Cells?
• Replicate themselves
• Ability to differentiate which type of tissue they become
• Some of the ‘daughter’ cells will become stem cells. Others will differentiate into specialised cells that the body needs
• Stem cells from some tissues can be persuaded to become different tissue
Why Save Umbilical Cord Blood?
• Easily obtained
• These cells are the earliest adult stem cells
• Easier to tissue match
• Less immunological problems
• Less stem cells needed for growth and can form different cells more easily
• Immediately available
Advantages of Family Storage
• Perfect tissue match for the child
• 25% chance of perfect match for siblings
• Good chance of a viable match for other family members
• Much higher chance of stem cell transplant success with related donor
• Less chance of rejection and of a condition called “Graft versus Host disease” with related donor
Current Uses of Stem Cells
• Can be used whenever bone marrow stem cells can be used
• Leukaemia, Lymphoma, solid tumours, metabolic diseases
• Cell-based therapy (although not yet routinely used)
Potential Uses of Stem Cells
• Expanding the stem cells in the laboratory to increase numbers prior to use e.g. in Leukaemia
• Cell-based Therapies – grow into different cells to repair disease
• Gene Therapy
Potential Issues
• Clinical decision at the time of birth – no guarantee cord blood will be collected
• May not get enough stem cells – a minimum of 20mls is needed for processing
• Risk of contamination at collection – does not necessarily prevent use and storage
• Maternal viruses – not all will affect use and storage
Cord Blood Collection
• After the baby’s birth
• Usually before the delivery of the placenta
• Can be taken after delivery of the placenta
• Pain free and risk free for mother and infant
• Takes 1 – 2 minutes
• Gravity fed directly into collection pack
Transportation to Laboratory
• Packed in a temperature stabilising unit
• Computer chip to log temperature
• Couriered to facility
• 36 hours is allowable for transit
Cord Blood Processing
• Stem cells separated from the rest of the blood
• Protective mixture added to prevent damage from freezing
• Cells separated into two storage cassettes
• Tested for contamination during collection
• Mother’s blood samples tested
Cord Blood Stem Cell Storage
• Cryogenic storage
• Suspended animation in vapour stage of liquid nitrogen
• Temperature gradually lowered in a controlled freezer
• Have been successfully stored for 15 years
• Other stem cells for longer
• Scientists belive storage is theoretically indefinite
Cell Sense Cost
• Includes collection, processing and the first 18 years storage
• Stem cells belong to the child, but parents have guardianship and consent
• When the child reaches 18 a new agreement is drawn up as the child now
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