Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells
Topic Overview
Stem cells are immature cells that have the ability to grow into any one of the body's cell types. They are either:
- Embryonic—taken from aborted fetuses or fertilized eggs left over from in vitro fertilization.
- Adult—generally taken from bone marrow, the soft tissue found in the bones. Adult stem cells are also collected from the bloodstream and the umbilical cord and placenta.
Embryonic stem cells are most often used in research, and adult stem cells are used in the treatment of disease.
Stem cells from bone marrow divide to make more stem cells that can also develop into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. People with cancers such as lymphoma or leukemia may need donated stem cells to restore normal red cell production and their immune system function after receiving radiation and/or chemotherapy to treat the cancer.
Umbilical cord blood stem cells
Umbilical cord blood stem cells are harvested from umbilical cord blood after a baby is born. Harvest does not affect the care of the baby or the mother.
Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are usually used to treat disease in a brother or sister or a child who would otherwise not have a stem cell donor. Since there are so few stem cells found in cord blood, these cells are not usually used to treat adults.
Umbilical stem cells are collected only if you request the procedure well in advance of your delivery date. It is not a routine procedure. If you are interested in donating your baby's cord blood, contact a stem cell registry early in your pregnancy so that you can provide all the needed medical information and sign the consent form.
Umbilical cord stem cells are less likely to result in graft-versus-host disease after a transplant. In this disease, the newly transplanted cells may destroy the other cells in the host's body because the cells do not match the others well enough.
Harvesting umbilical cord blood stem cells
Before harvesting umbilical cord blood, you will be asked whether either parent has a family history of or has been exposed to diseases that might be transmitted through cord blood. You will also be asked to sign a consent form to allow collection of the blood.
A sample of the mother's blood is taken and tested for infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, syphilis, or HIV infection.
Umbilical cord blood is drawn from the umbilical cord and placenta after the cord has been clamped and cut. Although stem cells are concentrated in cord blood, few cells are collected because the total amount of blood is small. The stem cells are usually frozen for later use.
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| Author: | Ellie Rodgers | Last Updated: June 12, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine | |
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