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 What are Stem Cells?
Stem cells are primal cells found in all multi-cellular organisms. They retain the ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and can differentiate into a diverse range of specialized cell types.
Unique Properties of Stem Cells
Stem cells have several unique properties that separate them from other cells:
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They are un specialized cells.
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They can proliferate or self-renew, which means they are capable of replenishing themselves for long periods of time by dividing.
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They can differentiate into specialized cells such as a nerve or heart cell.
 Potency of Stem Cells
A stem cell's potency is a term used to denote its ability to give rise to other cells in the body. Stem cells can be separated into several potency categories:
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Totipotent stem cells: they can differentiate into any type of cell in the human body, including the placenta.
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Pluripotent stem cells: they descend from totipotent stem cells and after several days, can differentiate into any type of cell except for totipotent stem cells.
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Multipotent stem cells: these descend from pluripotent stem cells and can differentiate into many cell lines within a specific type of tissue.
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Unipotent stem cells: this type of stem cells is a descendant of a multipotent stem cell and can give rise to a single cell type.
Sources of Stem Cells
Stem cells may be derived from several sources and research is currently ongoing for therapeutic use of stem cells from all sources. The isolation and extraction of stem cells allows them to be categorized as:
• Embryonic stem cells: they are extracted from embryos and can give rise to virtually any specialized cell in the human body.
• Adult stem cells: these are present in adult tissues such as the bone marrow, brain and blood but are limited in potential relative to embryonic stem cells.
• Cord blood stem cells: this source of stem cells is derived from cord blood and is thought to hold enormous potential in treating disease.
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| Human Embryonic Stem cell colony on mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder layer |
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Mouse embryonic stem cells with fluorescent marker |
There are three sources where hematopoietic stem cells are commonly found, they are:
The ability of cord blood stem cells to differentiate, or change into other types of cells in the body is a new discovery that holds significant promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's.
 What is cord blood?
Cord blood, which is also called 'placental blood,' is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth and after the cord is cut. Cord blood is routinely discarded with the placenta and umbilical cord. Your baby's umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and family.
The stem cells found in cord blood are the building blocks of your blood and immune system and most readily replicate into:
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Red Blood Cells - which carry oxygen to all the cells in
the body
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White Blood Cells - which fight infection
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Platelets - which aid in clotting in the event of injury
 Why save Cord Blood?
Birth is also a one-time opportunity to help your own family by saving your child's cord blood. Transplant patients recover better when they receive stem cells from a related donor, instead of an unrelated donor. In the future, if there are regenerative medicine advances which can repair the body with the patient's own stem cells, then families which saved cord blood will have better access to those treatments.
There is virtually no reason not to save your child's cord blood. The only cautionary remarks which can be made about cord blood banking is that the cord should not be clamped too soon after birth.
Cord Blood: The Controversy-Free Source of Stem Cells
Umbilical cord blood stem cells are controversy-free and offer advantages over other types of stem cells. While your baby’s own stem cells are a perfect match (100%), there is a good probability of a match for siblings, parents and or grandparents.
 What types of diseases are treated with stem cell transplantation?
An estimated 45,000 to 50,000 hematopoietic cell transplants (blood or marrow transplants -BMT) are performed annually worldwide to treat patients with life-threatening malignant and non-malignant diseases. There are a wide range of diseases that are treatable with cord blood, including stem cell disorders, acute and chronic forms of leukemia, myeloproliferative disorders and many more. It’s important to note that, in addition to the host of conditions that can now be treated, it’s the potential of cord blood that holds the most excitement, as research continues to uncover new possibilities.
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