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Cord Blood Stem Cell

Cord blood is blood harvested from the umbilical cord and the placenta after a baby has been delivered. Cord blood is considered to be rich source of stem cells that can be used to boost the immune system and to treat possibly terminal illnesses such as leukemia and other cancers that mainly affect children. These same stem cells are also found in bone marrow, but are not as ideal due to increased age and levels of damage. As such, cord blood is now considered to be the viable and preferred alternative to bone marrow transplants, and boasts a better likelihood of successful integration into the patient’s body.

Many hospitals and medical facilities offer cord blood banking services. People are maximizing the opportunity to cryogenically store cord blood for personal use, especially if they have a family history of hereditary disease or if a sibling of the baby is already afflicted with an illness treatable by stem cell therapy. Donation is also becoming more commonplace, as witnessed by the fact that 75% of the transplants performed used donated cord blood.

Web Resources On Cord Blood Stem Cell

Cord Blood Donor
Cord Blood FAQ

Book Resources On Cord Blood Stem Cell

Cellular Characteristics of Cord Blood and Cord Blood Transplantation by Hal E. Broxmeyer
Cord Blood: Establishing a National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank Program by Institute of Medicine

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