Cord Blood Bank

What is Cord blood?

Cord blood is blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. Cord blood contains blood stem cells which can form red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The blood extracted is then tested and stored in a frozen state for future use. Parents opt for the extraction and storage of cord blood because it has several potential benefits for their child in the future. If the child were to inherit a genetic disease or suffer from anemia or leukemia, cord blood transplants will help regenerate the blood and save the life of the child.
Cord blood Usage

Duke University Medical Center performed the first successful donor cord blood transplant in 1993 and cured a patient of lymphoblastic leukemia. Today, Doctors see great potential for the use of these stem cells in transplant medicine and use the cells to regenerate the patient’s blood and immune systems. This treatment is extremely beneficial after the patient has undergone chemotherapy or radiation treatment that has resulted in the destruction of healthy cells along with cancer cells.

Advantages of using cord blood stem cells over other kinds of stem cells.

There are many sources from which blood forming cells can be extracted. Cord blood is one such source. Blood forming cells can also be extracted from circulating blood and bone marrow. Research on the similarities and differences between these sources of blood forming cells are still being done. However, evidence gathered so far shows that cord blood stem cells proliferate faster and match with the blood cells of family members more easily than bone marrow stem cells. So it would be to your advantage if you have stored up the umbilical cord blood of your baby and are able to use it for curing any blood and immune system related diseases. Your access to the regenerative stem cells will be simpler and your recovery will be faster.

Advantages of using own or familial cord blood

If the cord blood belongs to the patient in whom it is being transplanted, the body is less likely to reject it. If the cord blood being used is taken from a public cord blood bank, it will have to be tested and matched with the blood cells of the patient in whom it is being transplanted before it can be used for the purpose. The risk of transmitting genetic diseases along with the transplanted cord blood is high in such cases since the donor of the cord blood is not identifiable and his genetic history is not known. Usage of own cord blood is better because:

1. It is a perfect match

2. The body accepts it immediately and produces no immune system reactions

3. There is no risk for acquiring genetic diseases

What do you do if you do not have self cord blood in store?

If you do not have cord blood of your own or that of your family members stored in private cord blood banks, you could obtain cord blood from public cord blood banks for transplant. The cord blood stored in public banks cannot be traced back to the donor and hence genetic matching will have to be done before it can be used. The possibility of the patient acquiring some other genetic problems from the transplanted blood also exists.