Why Store Cord Blood? What is Cord Blood? What are Stem Cells? Why is Cord Blood Controversial? What is the Potential for Cord Blood? What Diseases Does Cord Blood Currently Treat? What are Potential Future Uses? What is the Likelihood We Will Need the Baby's Cord Blood? Will my Doctor Know How to Collect It? Highlights of Cord Blood Banking

What are Stem Cells ?

Umbilical cord blood is a rich resource of fetal stem cells. These stem cells are the "building block" cells of blood, tissue and organs. They are the earliest cells found in the fetus, which then replicate efficiently and rapidly to create more blood, liver tissue, heart tissue, etc.

Fetal Stem Cell Types There are currently two identifiably different types of fetal stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells are found in the fetus itself and hematopoietic stem cells are found in cord blood.

Pluripotent stem cells that are present in embryos are the most basic stem cells. Since they are so primitive (or undifferentiated) they can actually create and form new tissue and new organs. This is what makes them so medically useful. Because they are found within the fetus itself, the use of them is controversial.

The fetal stem cells found in the baby's cord blood, "hematopoietic" stem cells, are different. They are not as primitive as the pluripotent stem cells since they have already started to become blood stem cells. They can, however, rapidly and efficiently create new blood for a patient. The stem cells found in cord blood have been used to regenerate new blood in patients who have blood diseases. The uses for hematopoietic fetal stem cells have grown dramatically over the years.

Potential Uses for Fetal Stem Cells Until recently, it was assumed that these hematopoietic stem cells, obtained from cord blood, could only be used as building blocks for blood cells. These stem cells were thought to be useful only in treating blood diseases. If you look closely at the list of current treatments for which fetal stem cells are used, all of them are diseases of the blood.

Recently, cord blood research has discovered evidence that suggests that, under the right circumstances, cord blood may be conditioned to "change" into the building blocks of organ tissue. If that is the truly the case. then the potential uses of cord blood stem cells will be extraordinary, including treatment for everything from breast cancer to heart disease to diabetes.

f this potential is realized, then saving cord blood can ensure your baby's health well into adulthood.

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Questions? Speak to a fetal stem cell expert.