This is the second article in a series dedicated to learning about umbilical cord blood stem cell storage.  It aims to educate expectant parents by providing them a comprehensive guide to cord blood banking that will help them make an informed decision.

In this article, we will take a look at the basics of umbilical cord stem cell banking and why the Cells4Life’s whole cord blood service is superior to competitors.

What is cord blood banking?

Cord blood banking is the practice of collecting, processing and storing umbilical cord blood so the stem cells it contains can be used at a later date.  Collecting the cord blood is completely painless and usually takes place a few minutes after the baby is delivered.  The blood is then shipped to a laboratory, where it is processed and cryogenically frozen for later use.  Stem cells in this cryogenically frozen state remain viable for 25 years or more.

What is the benefit of storing all stem cell types in the cord blood?

Traditionally, only the blood within the umbilical cord would be preserved.  That was because the umbilical cord blood contains a large number hematopoietic stem cells, which are precursors to blood cells.  These are the kinds of stem cells used in many current medical therapies to treat blood disorders, cancer, immune system disorders and metabolic disorders. 

To maintain maximum viability when storing these hematopoietic stem cells cryogenically, the umbilical cord blood is filtered using a process called ‘volume reduction’.  That is done to ensure that there are a high number of hematopoietic stem cells available and they are easily obtainable after the sample is frozen.

However, in recent years researchers have discovered that umbilical cord tissue also carries some very valuable forms of stem cells — Multipotent Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC), Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs) and Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells (USSCs).  Umbilical cord tissue also contains a number of hormones and growth factors that may be of use in the future.

To preserve these additional stem cells, hormones and growth factors, whole cord blood storage must be used.  The entire cord is frozen and must be processed at a later date when a specific stem cell is required.

The reason MSC, VSELs and USSCs are so valuable is because of the research discoveries in the field of regenerative medicine.  Regenerative medicine is a cutting-edge field which is focused on finding ways to regenerate or repair many types of human tissue including: skin, muscles, veins, optic cells, arteries and cardiac cells.  While research is just taking off in the field, some specialists suggest that eventually stem cells may be used to grow new organs, cure many more diseases and repair traumatic injuries.

Deciding on whether to use store just the blood or the whole umbilical cord is one of the first decisions a parent must make.  Our friendly consultants can further discuss the technologies involved and help you make the decision.

What makes your company special and better than the other firms who operate the banking of stem cells?

Cells4life are a leader in umbilical cord stem cell storage, offering a comprehensive range of services including whole cord blood storage.  Many competitors only offer volume reduced blood cord storage, which discards other potentially valuable stem cells. 

By choosing Cells4Life, you can preserve the all of the blood in the umbilical cord and all 12 types of stem cells it contains.  This also means any growth factors, hormones and cytokines are preserved.

Cells4Life strictly adhere to world-class collection, storage and safety procedures.  These procedures have been established by a highly qualified team of specialists in the field, with years of experience.

Samples are also stored in two separate geographical locations to further ensure the safety of your child’s stem cells.  All samples are subdivided into 3-6 smaller sections to allow for maximum flexibility into the future.  Competitors often use 2 subdivisions, which can limit your options should you need to use the stem cells on multiple occasions.

Why do Cells4Life store all of the stem cell types in the cord blood?

There will be hundreds of new therapies into the future that rely upon all types of umbilical cord stem cells.  Current storage techniques being used by competitors focus solely on the CD34+ progenitor cell population, which contains two main subpopulations, hematopoietic and endothelial progenitor cells.  They do this because hematopoietic cells are especially useful for most currently known stem cell treatments. 

Cells4Life store all available stem cells which may hold the key to healing some devastating injuries and diseases into the future.  Our minimally invasive cryopreservation technique of storing whole cord blood preserves the highest quality sample and includes Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs), Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs), Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells (USSCs). 

A whole cord blood sample also maintains high concentrations of cytokines, growth factors and hormones which may be used in future medical treatments.  Cells4Life want your family to be well-prepared to take advantage of any new medical treatments into the future!

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