In many ways, the use of cord blood in treating a host of medical conditions is a relatively new procedure. This has not precluded widespread interest from all sorts of quarters in the way the technology works in both treatment and management of diseases. Taking advantage of the numerous stem cells present in the umbilical cord blood, doctors have developed a system of extracting a sample during or before delivery and then have it stored in readiness for future needs.
Instead of discarding the afterbirth as medical trash, doctors instead extract the stem cells present in the material and preserve it. When there is need to use these cells in treatment, a match is identified from those stem cells in storage and if a match is identified, the treatment can proceed. There is more research being conducted to discover even newer treatment approaches.
There is a substantial list of both malignant and non-malignant conditions that render themselves naturally to this technology. It has also been proven to be effective for both adults and children. In particular, the method is effective in treating leukemia, non Hodgkin's lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, spinal injuries and diabetes.
As far as it can be established, there has been much more research into the application of bone marrow extracts in treatment of many of these diseases. Nonetheless, this is an option that has gained popularity in a much shorter period of time. Making use of cells that are yet to differentiate, it is possible to use them in treatment of a host of problems where they will naturally adapt in development of any type of body tissue.
In comparison to donations made from the bone marrow, cord blood banking has a couple of advantages. For one, the extraction process is far much easier as there is no need to anesthetize the donor before collection of a sample is done. Furthermore, there is no risk of infection as the extraction is done after the umbilical cord has been severed from both the mother and child.
There are a couple of methods that can be used in extraction of a sample from the mother. The term 'in-utero' is used to refer to cases where the extraction is done before delivery happens. However, when the procedure is carried out right after the infant has been born, this is referred to as 'ex-utero'. Even where the birth happens under caesarean section, the risks to both mother and child are negligible.
Once the collection has been done, the sample is delivered by a medical courier to a blood-bank. It will be scanned to ensure that it does not contain any infectious disease pathogens before storage. The red blood cells will also be separated and removed from the extract.
To ensure longevity of the sample in storage, it will need to be cooled to very low temperatures. In order to make sure that the cells within do not undergo shock and thereby lose all regenerative ability, the cooling process is done very gradually. When the sample has attained temperatures of about minus 90 degrees, it is transferred to a custom freezer where special storage bags are used to ensure longevity and ease of extraction.
A whole new branch of medical practice has been spawned with the rise of the use of cord blood. It has attained a firm foothold in treatment of some of the more debilitating medical conditions that have ailed man for ages. Though by and large seen as an experimental technology, it has enormous promise with further research.
Instead of discarding the afterbirth as medical trash, doctors instead extract the stem cells present in the material and preserve it. When there is need to use these cells in treatment, a match is identified from those stem cells in storage and if a match is identified, the treatment can proceed. There is more research being conducted to discover even newer treatment approaches.
There is a substantial list of both malignant and non-malignant conditions that render themselves naturally to this technology. It has also been proven to be effective for both adults and children. In particular, the method is effective in treating leukemia, non Hodgkin's lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, spinal injuries and diabetes.
As far as it can be established, there has been much more research into the application of bone marrow extracts in treatment of many of these diseases. Nonetheless, this is an option that has gained popularity in a much shorter period of time. Making use of cells that are yet to differentiate, it is possible to use them in treatment of a host of problems where they will naturally adapt in development of any type of body tissue.
In comparison to donations made from the bone marrow, cord blood banking has a couple of advantages. For one, the extraction process is far much easier as there is no need to anesthetize the donor before collection of a sample is done. Furthermore, there is no risk of infection as the extraction is done after the umbilical cord has been severed from both the mother and child.
There are a couple of methods that can be used in extraction of a sample from the mother. The term 'in-utero' is used to refer to cases where the extraction is done before delivery happens. However, when the procedure is carried out right after the infant has been born, this is referred to as 'ex-utero'. Even where the birth happens under caesarean section, the risks to both mother and child are negligible.
Once the collection has been done, the sample is delivered by a medical courier to a blood-bank. It will be scanned to ensure that it does not contain any infectious disease pathogens before storage. The red blood cells will also be separated and removed from the extract.
To ensure longevity of the sample in storage, it will need to be cooled to very low temperatures. In order to make sure that the cells within do not undergo shock and thereby lose all regenerative ability, the cooling process is done very gradually. When the sample has attained temperatures of about minus 90 degrees, it is transferred to a custom freezer where special storage bags are used to ensure longevity and ease of extraction.
A whole new branch of medical practice has been spawned with the rise of the use of cord blood. It has attained a firm foothold in treatment of some of the more debilitating medical conditions that have ailed man for ages. Though by and large seen as an experimental technology, it has enormous promise with further research.
About the Author:
Located at Toronto General Hospital, we are a Cord blood clinic experienced in Cord blood banking Canada and cord blood banking.
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