What is Cord Blood, Cell and Tissue Banking?
Cord blood, cell and tissue banking is the process of processing the umbilical cord tissue of the newborn and the remaining cord blood after birth in special kits for use in stem cell transplantation and storing them in nitrogen tanks at – 196 °C vapor phase.
While blood-forming stem cells obtained through cord blood, cell and tissue banking services can be used in the treatment of some blood diseases such as lymphoma, Mediterranean anemia, and leukemia, mesenchymal stem cells can be used for therapeutic purposes in almost every branch of medicine such as orthopedics, rheumatology, immunology.
Banking Options
What is Autologous Banking?
It is the storage of your baby's cord blood and/or cord tissue for the use of your baby or family members when needed. The information about the stored newborn stem cell sources cannot be shared with other people or institutions. It is promised that all information will be kept confidential with the contracts made. A fee is charged for this banking system.
What is Allogeneic Banking?
Allogeneic banking is the type of banking that some parents prefer to donate for the use of everyone in need in the society by giving up all their rights to their babies' cord blood and/or cord tissue. There is no charge for this banking system.
Tissue groups are studied in the donated cord blood, and the results are conveyed to the organs and tissue transplant departments of the TR Ministry of Health. Cord blood can be used for patients in need when necessary. Receiver and donor information is kept confidential in StemCord records.
What is Cord Blood? Why Should it be Stored?
Cord blood is the blood collected from the cord remaining on the mother's side after the baby is separated from the mother and the umbilical cord is cut during birth. It is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells.
Stem cells obtained from cord blood are blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells and it is of great importance to preserve cord blood and to use it in case of blood diseases and some metabolic diseases.
- Cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells that do not require surgical intervention. It is taken painlessly at the time of birth without causing any harm to the mother or the baby.
- Cord blood stem cells are younger and have a higher capacity for proliferation and differentiation. While 1 out of every 10 thousand cells in newborn babies is a stem cell, in a 65-year-old person only 1 out of every 1 million cells is a stem cell.
- Blood-forming stem cells obtained from cord blood have a higher rate of division and proliferation than stem cells from bone marrow and circulating blood.
- In case the baby whose cord blood is stored has a disease such as leukemia or lymphoma (in the absence of genetically transmitted diseases) that will require bone marrow transplantation in the future, without the need to search for a bone marrow compatible donor (75% of such patients cannot find the appropriate bone marrow), their own healthy stem cells (if stored) can be used in the treatment.
- The immune system is unlikely to react negatively to cord blood stem cell transplantation.
- In the transplantation of stem cells obtained from cord blood, partial compatibility may be sufficient instead of full tissue compatibility, so it is likely to be used within the family.
Through these features, the stored blood can be transferred to the family until the age of 18, to the person after the age of 18 with the permission of the blood owner, and to family members or close relatives in case of tissue compatibility.
Apart from these, stem cells obtained from cord blood have advantages over stem cells obtained from bone marrow. Obtaining bone marrow for use from a possible blood disease is a very painful and difficult procedure for the person to be taken bone marrow. On the other hand, according to the results of many studies on the subject, it has been shown that cord blood stem cells are more effective than stem cells obtained from bone marrow.
What is Cord Tissue (Umbilical Cord)?
Cord tissue (umbilical cord) is the tissue that carries the oxygen and nutrients the baby needs during its development in the mother's womb and connects the placenta to the baby. It is about 50 – 60 cm long. Cord tissue is a rich source for stem cells, just like cord blood.
In cases where this precious stem cell resource is not included in the storage or donation system, it is treated as medical waste after the birth of the baby along with the placenta.
Why Should Cord Tissue be Stored?
Cells found in cord tissue (umbilical cord) are mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from Wharton's jelly and are different from cord blood stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells isolated from this source have the ability to transform into many tissues such as bone, cartilage, and muscle.
Although MSCs can be obtained from different sources such as bone marrow, adipose tissue, dental pulp, placenta, amniotic fluid and cord tissue, the most suitable source is cord tissue. MSCs are also present in cord blood, but their amount is much less than in cord tissue. Obtaining MSC from bone marrow requires a surgical procedure under anesthesia and can be painful. MSCs in the cord tissue are obtained easily, harmlessly and painlessly compared to other sources. It is sufficient to collect and store some of the cord tissue after birth.
In addition to storing the cord blood, storing the umbilical cord together provides an advantage as they contain different types of cells and are used in the treatment of different diseases.