What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are the basic cells in our body from which all other specialised cells develop and function. There are two major types of stem cells - adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood stem cells. Adult stem cells are found in small numbers in most organs like brain, blood, bone marrow etc. and help repair and regenerate damaged tissues. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are obtained from the umbilical cord and placenta after a baby is born. These cells are more primitive than adult stem cells and have greater potential to develop into different cell types of the body. Research is ongoing to understand their full potential in treating various diseases.
Benefits of Stem Cell Banking
With advances in stem cell research, new treatments targeting many currently incurable conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, neurological disorders etc are emerging. Banking and storing one's own umbilical cord blood stem cells provides access to a readily available source of stem cells should a future therapy require them. Some key benefits include:
Future Treatment Options
As new Stem Cell Banking get developed, having one's own stem cells stored ensures access to the latest treatments without dependence on donor availability. This is particularly important as future therapies may require a close tissue match which one's own cells would provide.
No Risk of Rejection
Using one's own stem cells eliminates the risk of rejection which is always a possibility with donated stem cells even with tissue matching. This improves chances of success in stem cell transplants.
Early Treatment Access
In emergencies or if a matching donor is not found quickly, having one's own banked stem cells provides a backup stem cell source to enable timely treatment access. Every day counts in conditions like leukemia.
Long-term Health Insurance
The stem cells can be stored for decades in a stem cell bank's facilities. This provides potential access to future medical advances for one's lifetime.
Peace of Mind
For families with a family history of genetic diseases potentially treatable with stem cells someday, banking cord blood provides reassurance that an essential biological resource will be available if needed.
Cord Blood Collection and Storage Process
Collection of umbilical cord blood is a simple and painless process that takes place immediately after delivery of the baby but before the delivery of the placenta. Trained medical staff collects the blood from the umbilical cord and placenta using a needless collection kit. The baby and mother do not experience any additional pain or risk from the collection process.
The collected cord blood is then transported to the stem cell bank's processing lab for volume reduction, cryopreservation and storage. Sophisticated techniques are used to extract and count the stem cells present. The remaining blood components are removed before cryogenically freezing the cells at extremely low temperatures typically around -196°C using liquid nitrogen.
The stem cells remain frozen in this state indefinitely until needed for transplantation or future therapy. When needed, the cells can be quickly thawed and infused to the patient like a blood transfusion. Various accreditation and strict quality control standards ensure long-term viability and safety of stored cells.
Costs Involved in Stem Cell Banking
Unlike blood banking which is provided free by blood donation programs in most countries, private cord blood banking involves costs for collection, processing, testing, storage and administration over the long storage periods. The specific costs depend on the stem cell bank but average total costs are usually between $1000-$2000 for initial processing and first year of storage. Annual storage fees thereafter range from $100-200 per year.
Financial assistance programs exist through cord blood banks and other organizations for families needing help with the upfront costs. Many private insurers also cover at least part of the banking costs. Compared to the exorbitant costs of stem cell transplants which can exceed $500,000, banking cord blood for potential future use is very reasonable particularly considering it provides a biological insurance for life.
Should You Bank Your Baby's Cord Blood?
For families with a known genetic condition in the family with current or potential future stem cell therapies, or where both parents have certain cancers or diseases, cord blood banking is strongly recommended to provide a stem cell backup.
For most other families, factors to consider are personal/family health/disease history, ethnic background in relation to likelihood of finding a matched unrelated donor for future use, and affordability of initial and long-term storage costs. Speaking to your obstetrician and a stem cell banking specialist helps in making an informed decision.
With growing evidence establishing the therapeutic potential of one's own stem cells including for non-genetic conditions like autism and orthopedic diseases, stem cell banking is emerging as a worthwhile biological insurance for families to consider for their child's long-term health. Future stem cell therapies may rely substantially on privately banked cord blood potentially benefiting millions worldwide.
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About Author:
Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravina-pandya-1a3984191)
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