How Umbilical Cord Blood Can Save Someone’s Life | Cryo Cord 

Umbilical cord blood can be looked upon as a life-saving drug. Umbilical cord stem cells once used to be disregarded as a waste material, but now it is known to be a useful blood stem cells. Cord blood can be used to cure blood diseases like anemia, hematopoietic, genetic disorders, and cancer.  

The umbilical cord is one that connects the baby to the mother while the baby is in the womb. After the baby is born, the cord blood remains in the umbilical cord and

placenta. Without any harm to the child and mother, the blood can easily be collected and stored frozen. It consists of the rare cell found in the bone marrow; Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The parents can donate the cord blood for free to any non-profit organization, for anyone in need to use it. It can also be stored in public cord banks or private cord banks. Cord blood stored in public banks can be used by anyone, the bank can also use it for research. The storage made in private or commercial banks are expensive and is stored for the use of donor and family members only.  

HSCs plays a very important role, they can replace the damaged blood cells with the new and healthy one, they change into the red or white blood cells and platelets. For some patients, cord blood can be used as an alternative to bone marrow transplants. Cord blood are less likely to cause immune rejection and complications than bone marrow, which means that it is not necessary that in all the case the cord blood need to be perfectly matched to the patient as in bone marrow.  

Everything which has benefits comes with some drawbacks. Cord blood transplantations also have limitations. One unit of cord blood does not consists of as many hematopoietic stem cells as a bone marrow donation. And for the treatment of an adult, at least two units of cord blood is required, as adults need more HSCs than children, the main drawback to treat an adult patient with cord blood.  

Research is going on. Researchers are trying to increase the number of hematopoietic Stem Cells collected from one cord blood sample by growing and multiplying the cells in the laboratory, known as ex vivo expansion. Many people are unaware of the cord blood and the benefits that it provides to them.