Stem Cells and Cord Blood Stem Cells

Question:
What are stem cells and cord blood stem cells?

Answer:

Stem cells are the body's "parent cells”. They create all other tissues, organs, and systems in the body. Ongoing stem cell research is generating increasing knowledge about how healthy cells can develop and replace damaged cells. Because they have the unique ability to either multiply or develop into other cell types, stem cells hold the potential for treating and curing some of the most common diseases such as heart disease, cancers, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are the key building blocks of the blood and immune system. Cord blood stem cells are the origin of white blood cells that fight infection, red blood cells that carry oxygen to all the cells in the body and platelets that promote clotting and healing.

A baby's umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and family. Until recently, the potential of umbilical cord blood stem cells remained unrecognized and these valuable stem cells were discarded without a second thought. Today, doctors worldwide recognize that cord blood stem cells can help generate healthy new cells and tissue and aid in the treatment of numerous diseases.

Umbilical cord blood offers a perfectly natural, controversy-free method of acquiring stem cells and has become a major source of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells for transplantation. Currently, one of the main applications of umbilical cord blood stem cells is to help regenerate a patient’s blood and immune system that have been weakened or damaged by radiation or chemotherapy.