Stem cells are a type of undifferentiated or unspecialised cell that has the remarkable potential to develop into various different cell types in the body. They serve as the body's natural repair and regeneration system. Stem cells can divide and produce both identical stem cells (self-renewal) and differentiated cells (differentiation) with specialised functions.
There are two primary types of stem cells:
Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs): These are pluripotent stem cells that are derived from the inner cell mass of a developing embryo. They have the capacity to differentiate into almost any cell type in the human body. However, their use has been the subject of ethical debate due to the need to destroy embryos to obtain them.
Adult or Somatic Stem Cells: These stem cells are found in various tissues and organs throughout the body, such as the bone marrow, skin, brain, and blood vessels. They are multipotent or sometimes unipotent, meaning they can differentiate into a limited range of cell types specific to the tissue or organ they are located in. For example, hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow can give rise to various blood cell types, while neural stem cells in the brain can produce different types of neural cells.
Stem cells can be found throughout the body; in bone marrow, in peripheral blood, and in adipose tissue to name but a few sources of these incredible unspecialised cells. However, the most abundant source of adult stem cells is umbilical cord blood. Umbilical cord blood is the blood in the umbilical cord after the birth of a baby and the cord has been cut.
Stem cells have significant potential in medical research and therapy due to their ability to replace damaged or diseased tissues and organs. This has led to the development of regenerative medicine, which explores ways to harness stem cells for various applications, including treating diseases like Parkinson's disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and heart disease.
Interestingly, cord blood can be stored for future medicinal use and is an approved therapy for over 80 conditions including cancers, blood disorders, and auto-immune conditions. It is also being researched as therapy in thousands of clinical trials. Collecting cord blood is non-invasive, risk free, and pain free for both mother and baby; which is why thousands of parents are choosing to store their baby’s cord blood in family banks like Cells4Life. Storing your baby’s cord blood in a family bank gives your baby a 100% stem cell match, siblings up to 40-60% match and the family has complete control. Not only will choosing to store your baby’s stem cells in a secure sample storage facility like Cells4Life give access to current, approved therapies if needed but they will have access to new and emerging therapies as well as access to clinical trials.
Many parents are unaware of the potential benefits their baby’s cord blood could have for their family. This results in their baby’s umbilical cord blood being discarded as biological waste without so much as a discussion. Every parent has the right to make an informed choice about their baby’s cord blood. It is especially important that they have the opportunity to make the decision that is right for their family as the only opportunity to bank their baby’s cord blood is at birth.