Once considered biological waste, cord blood is now being stored as a valuable source of stem cells. It can be used in the same way as hematopoietic stem/progenator cells that are harvested from bone marrow or peripheral blood. It is taken from the placenta through the umbilical cord after birth and then frozen using liquid nitrogen at -150 C cord blood banking.
It is normally transplanted for the treatment of leukemia but by strengthening the immune system in this way it can also be used to treat immune deficiency or congenital conditions such as sickle cell anemia. Severe aplastic anemia is another disorder that would befit from a transplant of stem cells.
Each source of hematopoietic stems cells (HSCs) has its own advantages and disadvantages. If they cord blood is kept in storage for use by the person from which it was harvested there could be no risk of the complications which is exist if they come from a different donor. These cells all also less mature and so less is required for the same effect as cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood and there are also fewer requirements for a match.
There are two different types of blood bank. Private banks will store a persons stem cells for their own personal use later on. Public banks will only store a donated sample if there is great enough quantity and it would then be available to any patient that is a match. A minimum quantity is required for an adult transplant to be successful so if the volume requirement is not then the donation has to be rejected.
In either case permission from the mother has to be granted before it can be collected. The mother should also be in a sound state of mind and cannot be anesthetized or sedated. If this is the case then partial permission can be granted before the procedure with confirmation after the birth.
A thorough screening of the medical history of the mother will be done and there should be no history of congenital diseases which can be transferred during a transplant. Various tests are done to find and contamination and the human leukocyte type is determined before it is frozen. In order to protect the cells the temperature is gradually reduced to around -80 C before being introduced into the liquid nitrogen.
Only the hematopoietic stem cells can be used and red blood cells are removed before storage because they tend to rupture upon thawing. Different methods are used to separate the different cells and in some cases the liquid or plasma is also removed which allows the HPCs to take up even less space in frozen storage.
There are also different different storage vessels that are used for freezing and they also have different advantages. Small vials called cryotubes are used to store small portions of cord blood that are then boxed together. This is done so that parts can be thawed if there is ever a need for smaller amounts because it cannot be refrozen again.
It is normally transplanted for the treatment of leukemia but by strengthening the immune system in this way it can also be used to treat immune deficiency or congenital conditions such as sickle cell anemia. Severe aplastic anemia is another disorder that would befit from a transplant of stem cells.
Each source of hematopoietic stems cells (HSCs) has its own advantages and disadvantages. If they cord blood is kept in storage for use by the person from which it was harvested there could be no risk of the complications which is exist if they come from a different donor. These cells all also less mature and so less is required for the same effect as cells from bone marrow or peripheral blood and there are also fewer requirements for a match.
There are two different types of blood bank. Private banks will store a persons stem cells for their own personal use later on. Public banks will only store a donated sample if there is great enough quantity and it would then be available to any patient that is a match. A minimum quantity is required for an adult transplant to be successful so if the volume requirement is not then the donation has to be rejected.
In either case permission from the mother has to be granted before it can be collected. The mother should also be in a sound state of mind and cannot be anesthetized or sedated. If this is the case then partial permission can be granted before the procedure with confirmation after the birth.
A thorough screening of the medical history of the mother will be done and there should be no history of congenital diseases which can be transferred during a transplant. Various tests are done to find and contamination and the human leukocyte type is determined before it is frozen. In order to protect the cells the temperature is gradually reduced to around -80 C before being introduced into the liquid nitrogen.
Only the hematopoietic stem cells can be used and red blood cells are removed before storage because they tend to rupture upon thawing. Different methods are used to separate the different cells and in some cases the liquid or plasma is also removed which allows the HPCs to take up even less space in frozen storage.
There are also different different storage vessels that are used for freezing and they also have different advantages. Small vials called cryotubes are used to store small portions of cord blood that are then boxed together. This is done so that parts can be thawed if there is ever a need for smaller amounts because it cannot be refrozen again.
About the Author:
Located at Toronto General Hospital, we are a Cord blood clinic experienced in Cord blood banking Canada and cord blood banking.