Cord Blood Banking

Introduction

• Cord blood also known as placental and umbilical cord blood is the left over blood present in the placenta and a section of umbilical cord after it has been cut after the birth of the baby.

• Cord blood contains RBCs, WBCs, platelets and plasma along with blood hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells that are similar to the ones found in bone marrow

What is stem cell?

• The body's "master" cells• Create all other tissues, organs, and systems in the

body• The building blocks of your blood and immune

system• Can replicate into red blood cells, white blood

cells and platelets• Cord blood stem cells can be classified into two

types: HSCs and MSCs

HSCs

• Give rise to all the blood cell types including myeloid and lymphoid lineages

• Most commonly used to treat Malignancies Cancers, Blood Disorders, Immuno deficiencies and Metabolic diseases

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)

• Have a high potential in differentiating into a variety of cell types

• Can differentiate into in vitro or in vivo

• Mainly used to treat chronic disease

• Enhance the regeneration of nervous system and restore damaged tissue and organs

• Shorten the recovery time after transplantation

• Capable of suppressing the effect of Graft Versus Host Disease

Function of HSCs and MSCs

Three sources of stem cells

• Bone Marrow • Peripheral Blood • Umbilical Cord Blood

The Advantages of Cord Blood Stem cells

International literatures have recorded over 80 diseases have been treated with cord blood transplants.

Comparison between Cord Blood and Peripheral Blood and Marrow

Item Cord blood Peripheral blood Bone marrow

Collection process

Collected from the placenta and umbilical cord after the infant is separated from the mother

Collected after hetopoietic growth factors are used to stimulate growth of the stem cells of the donor

Collected through medical operation, preparation, extracting about 100 syringes near the vertebrae of the donor

Time for the whole process

10-15 minutes 5-7 days at least 4-6 months

Age of stem cell

0 year old Same age as the donor

Same age as the donor

Item Cord blood Peripheral blood Bone marrow

Possibility of being polluted by the source of disease

Almost zero Very likely Very likely

Quantity of stem cell

Highest Lower Medium

Cell expansion ability outside the body

Higher Lower Lower

Repulsion of receiver

Little (no repulsion in the case of autologous transplantation)

Repulsion is the main problem after transplantation

Repulsion is the main problem after transplantation

Collection of Cord Blood

• After delivery of the infant and prior to expulsion of the placenta, double-clamp and cut the umbilical cord.

• Sterilize the proposed needle insertion site of the cord with the antiseptic prep pad provided. The proposed needle insertion site should be just above the clamp that remains on the cord.

• Insert the needle of the Collection Bag provided into the cord and collect as much sample as possible via gravity-flow, aiming to fill the bag (a minimum of 80 mL is required). The cord will appear empty and pale when collection is completed.

• Tie two tight knots in the tubing as close to the needle as possible.

• Gently rotate the bag several times to thoroughly mix the cord blood with the anticoagulant.

Treatment of Cord BloodCollection of cord blood

Test for HIV , HAV,HBV.

Stem cells isolated

Cell viability, count, potency analysis

Transferred to cry containers.

Bio Archive System

• Computer-controlled, robotic liquid nitrogen cryopreservation and storage system

• Enables the freezing and managing of up to 3,623 blood component samples

Current Research

• And scientists are now actively investigating the possibility that stem cells in cord blood may even be able to replace cells of other tissues such as nerve or heart cells

Clinical Trials

• Application in clinical trials: Stroke, Pakinsons Disease, Spinal injury, liver diseases, heart diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, renal failures, skin regeneration, etc.

Ethical and Moral Issues• No ethical and moral issues and is a generally

accepted practice because no life is being threatened or taken away. As the cord blood is of no use to the baby since it is collected after birth.

References• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbilical_cord_

blood• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell• http://www.cordblood.com/cord_blood_faqs/

cord_blood.asp• http

://forum.baby-kingdom.com/viewthread.php?tid=1103326&extra=page%3D1

• http://www.thermogenesis.com/products/bioarchive.html

• http://www.cordblood.com/cord_blood_news/media/media_kit/history_of_cordblood_banking.htm

• http://www.cordblood-bank.net/history-cord-blood-banking.htm