Umbilical cord and placenta, which was once discarded as a medical waste, has currently turned out to be the life-saving material. Stem cell banking using the cord blood cells has gained immense popularity across the globe. Unlike the embryonic stem cell research, cord blood stem cell banking doesn’t have any ethical controversies or complexities surrounding them.
Cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, which has the remarkable potential to treat
more than 80 diseases including but not limited to cancers, blood disorders, immune disorders, metabolic disorders and inherited diseases. Moreover, it is also considered as a safe and effective alternative to bone marrow during the stem cell transplants. That is why majority of the doctors and researchers have been encouraging the expectant parents to bank their newborn baby’s cord blood. Public and private cord blood banking facilities are available from which the expectant parents can make their pick. If you are planning to bank your newborn baby’s cord blood for personal use by the family, then private cord blood bank facilities can help you out. However, you have to pay the initial processing and long term storage fees. On the other hand, you can also decide to donate the cord blood for regenerative medicine research or stem cell transplant purpose, at free of cost. If you choose the later, then you need to get in touch with a public cord blood bank.
Not just the cord blood, but the cord tissue also contains stem cells which has the power to treat debilitating conditions. Several clinical trials are underway exploring the umbilical cord tissue benefits. According to the researchers, hematopoietic stem cells present in the cord tissue has the potential to treat the medical conditions affecting cartilage, muscle and nerve cells. Expectant parents having a clear understanding about the cord blood and umbilical cord tissue benefits need to think through decisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment