Why Banking Umbilical Cord Blood Should Be On Your "To Do" List?

Umbilical Cord functions as a lifeline between mother and child during pregnancy. After a baby is delivered, the umbilical cord is cut and normally discarded with the placenta as medical waste. This procedure is painless due to the lack of any nerves on the Umbilical Cord. A baby's umbilical cord has a large number of Epithelial Stem Cells (EpSCs) and Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). While EpSCs are primarily responsible for forming the outer protection layer of the body or organ such as skin, liver, pancreas, brain and gastrointestinal tract, MSCs have proven its capability to differentiate into neurons, cartilage and bone. Current research with these cells revealed encouraging results in the treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions including stroke and replacement of corneal membrane. In the future, once these advances translate to successful therapies, any family who had stored their child's stem cells will have this resource to support these potential treatments. ...