A public cord blood bank is a place where people can go to donate umbilical cord blood. Donating in this way ensures that the collection, transport, donor screening and storage are all taken care of by the bank. There have been many talks about the stem cells found in the cord blood these past years because they have successfully been used to treat diseases like leukemia. Many scientists believe that within a few years and major advances in medical technology, diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and other cancers will be a thing of the past.
When you donate your cord blood to a cord blood bank, you provide scientists with a litany of cells that can be researched and harvested to find cures and treatments for some of our generations most deadly and debilitating diseases.
Umbilical cord blood has a high content of stem cells, because of this it can be an alternative to bone marrow. This is highly important because the donor does not have to be in any relation to the recipient; in addition, harvesting and storage is relatively easy. The “miracle cells” I like to call them are already being used to treat patients – meanwhile, new opportunities are presenting themselves everyday for more and more people to get access to cures and treatments.
Most advocates of stem cell research say it is critical for this medical technological advancement to be more available to people who really need it. As we know, dangerous and debilitating diseases are becoming more prevalent. With cord blood stem cells, these diseases can be obliterated for all time.
In the past, cord blood was regularly thrown away with the placenta and the umbilical cord. However, in today’s times it is harvested for research and to save lives. This valuable source of stem cells (the umbilical cord blood) is hereditarily one of a kind to the baby and mother.
According to scientists, cord blood research is very important because it poses fewer risks than bone marrow transplants. Many studies show that the immune cells in the cord blood are less likely to attack the unrelated donor’s system. Thus, people who need transplants can get the care they need without having to get a relative to donate.
Testing of the cord blood when donated is done to make sure there are no abnormalities or infectious diseases that may expose future recipients to any harm. If a problem is found the donor will be notified. There are also private cord blood banking agencies who charge a fee for storage. A family might consider this course of action if they plan to use the stem cells for their own future family needs.
For more information on cord blood banking, please visit:
Umbilical Cord Blood Banking [http://www.blood-cord-storage-umbilical.info]
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Baby Cord Blood [http://www.blood-cord-storage-umbilical.info]
Tags: cord blood, cord blood banking, umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord blood banking