Real-World Examples of the Benefits of Cord Blood Banking
Introduction • By now, most people have probably heard of the concept of cord blood banking after you have a baby. • According to Cord Blood Bank ‘Cells for Life’, these cells are stem cells that remain in the umbilical cord and placenta after the cord is cut after birth. After the blood is taken, it is sent to a lab where the stem cells are extracted then frozen and stored for possible later use.
Introduction • With cord blood banking, there are typically no ethical or religious issues, no health risk to the mother or baby and it is easy to collect. The reason that cord blood banking is done at all is because stem cells have the potential to become other types of cells or stay in their current state and replicate to treat a variety of serious health issues. • Here are a few real-world examples of the benefits of cord blood banking.
Recreating Blood Vessels • In a story displayed on the Cells for Life website, scientists were able to recreate functional human blood vessels in mice by injecting progenitor cells from adult human blood. • The significance of this accomplishment could mean non-surgical heart repair in the future. If damaged blood vessels can be reconstructed with injections, invasive surgical procedures would be unnecessary and many of the side effects associated with heart surgery could be avoided.
Recreating Blood Vessels • The cells from adult blood and bone marrow, or umbilical cord and adult bone marrow can be used to grow the healthy vessels. • Naturally, this type of treatment may be far off in terms of using it successfully on humans, but the fact that it is possible at all is promising. And once it becomes more advanced and routine, it will expand beyond merely heart issues into wound healing or any other problem that requires the creation of new blood vessels.
Windpipe Transplant • Another story on the Cells for Life website by ABC news, details how doctors were able to create a new windpipe for a woman, using tissue that was grown from her own stem cells. • Using her own cells eliminates any need for anti-rejection drugs and helps increase the likelihood of success.
Windpipe Transplant • The woman who received the transplant had suffered from tuberculosis for a long time and had recently suffered a collapsed lung that left her unable to breathe clearly. • For the transplant, the doctors took stem cell samples from the patient’s hip and lined the donor windpipe with them to create millions of tissue cells and cartilage cells.
Windpipe Transplant • Since the new cells aren’t conducive to rejection, the recovery was faster and far less complex than it would have been otherwise. • The doctors who [performed the surgery even note that stem cells could possibly be used to create entire organs in the future. • Naturally, that is very far away, but an area filled with promise after the windpipe transplant.
Injections for Brains • Researchers at the University of South Florida were able to boost the brains of older rats by injecting umbilical cord blood cells. • The hippocampus regions of the rat’s brains showed improvement after the injections and the neural stem / progenitor cells were rejuvenated.
Injections for Brains • The implications for future human use are fairly obvious, as brain function is one of the things that typically suffers as we age. • The study states that brain cell neurogenesis decreases dramatically as people age and it seemed as though the injections decreased inflammation, which in turn increased neurogenesis.
Injections for Brains • If stem cell injections could result in a slower decrease in brain capacity, it could greatly improve the quality of life for aging people who notice a decline in brain function. Â
Injections for Brains • There’s no doubt that researchers all over the world will continue to study and experiment with stem cells and different ailments. • Any real use of stem cells for health treatments is likely far off in the future, but you can get ready by banking cord blood now.
Injections for Brains • Since it is such an easy procedure and since there are cord blood banking facilities that specialize in handling and taking care of the cells, it may be a wise decision later on. This way, if your child needs those cells to help save his or her life, and the technology is available you’ll be ready.