Whole Cord Blood and Volume-Reduced Storage
Are there any treatments that will only be available to me if I store whole cord blood?
Yes. The additional cell types found in cord blood allow you to take full advantage of any existing or future therapeutic developments. These cell types (including MSCs and VSELs) will prove to be critical for certain treatments such as tissue reconstruction and regeneration, and are important for successful engraftment, for the treatment of blood disorders today.
Is there a downside to storing whole cord blood?
No. You will be able to benefit from any existing or future therapy that uses one of the cell types found in cord blood. The fact that Cells4Life has already released samples for use proves this.
Is there an upside to storing volume-reduced cord blood?
Volume-reduced storage was invented to reduce the cost of storage for public umbilical cord stem cell banks and the treatment of blood disorders. It has been adopted by most commercial umbilical cord stem cell banks for this reason. However, because of what the method discards, volume-reduced storage means that your child may not be able to take advantage of all future therapeutic developments. Even so, it does provide a more economical option and if you chose this option storing with Cells4Life means you could still have a higher cell count than with any other company.
What is the benefit of storing whole cord blood compared to volume-reduced storage?
Umbilical cord blood contains several different cell types. While storing the whole cord blood preserves all the major cell types and other factors, storing a volume-reduced sample preserves only HSCs. Volume-reduction removes over 80% of the cells in the sample.
What is the difference between whole cord blood storage and volume-reduced storage?
Both whole cord blood and volume-reduced storage begin by collecting the available blood from the umbilical cord. The main difference between storing whole cord blood and volume-reduced storage is the methods used once the blood is received at the laboratory. Volume-reduction methods manipulate the sample to retain a proportion of one cell type. In contrast, Cells4Life Platinum whole cord blood storage involves minimal manipulation with no separation of the blood. This optimises the number and cell types stored.