Stem cells
and cord blood

Bone marrow was the primary source of stem cells (bone marrow transplantation involves transplanting stem cells derived from the bone marrow), whereas nowadays umbilical cord blood stem cells are more frequently used for therapeutic purposes. Other sources include peripheral blood drawn from donors who underwent pharmacological mobilization.

Each living organism, through the course of its life, systematically produces new cells that subsequently mature and differentiate into more specialized cells. Eventually, these cells perish after a specific period of time, as inscribed in their genetic code. Specific stem cells are cells which directly replace the dead ones. All stem cells, even if their presence in the body is only transient, may be subdivided into four categories: totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent and unipotent. Multipotent cells include hematopoietic stem cells and the human umbilical cord blood is a good source of such cells.

Umbilical cord blood - collection and storage

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth and cord clamping. It is a valuable source of stem cells. Until recently it was treated as "waste" and recycled together with the placenta and umbilical cord. Currently, it is collected to isolate stem cells for storage and subsequent use in therapy. 

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood, like those from the bone marrow, may be transplanted to rebuild the hematopoietic and immune systems. These cells are characterized by greater efficacy than stem cells obtained from adult donors. They can be used both for autologous transplants (where the donor is the recipient of the collected cells) and allogeneic transplants (where the recipient receives cells from another person, e.g. family transplants).

Collecting umbilical cord blood is a simple and non-invasive procedure.

Umbilical cord blood collection is a simple activity. It is performed once the umbilical cord is cut and the blood is taken from the part of the umbilical cord that is connected to the placenta, so the process is entirely independent of the child. 

Usually a trained midwife will collect the sample using a collection kit that was delivered to the hospital by the parents immediately before delivery. Following collection, it is picked up from the hospital and transported to the laboratory by a person authorized by the bank.

Banking umbilical cord blood

Umbilical cord blood may be stored virtually indefinitely, without fear of losing its valuable properties. At the PBKM laboratory, stem cells from umbilical cord blood are stored until needed.

Predominance of stem cells from umbilical cord blood

Due to the advantages that umbilical cord blood cells offer over bone marrow cells, they are increasingly used in saving lives. Although stem cells from the bone marrow may be harvested throughout the whole life, cells collected from umbilical cord blood are much more valuable, as illustrated in the table:

Umbilical cord

Umbilical cord contains special stem cells called mesenchymal cells. They have slightly different properties than umbilical cord blood cells - they differentiate into other types of cells much more easily, e.g. into nervous cells, bone, cartilage. 

Umbilical cord cells are called Wharton jelly cells. It is a specific tissue that surrounds umbilical vessels. The umbilical cord may be easily harvested following delivery. The procedure is non-invasive and painless for both the mother and the baby. A fragment (10-15 cm long) of the umbilical cord is cut and put into a special container by a doctor or midwife. At the laboratory, the umbilical tissue is examined, prepared and then frozen. Stem cells may also be isolated before freezing.