Giving birth to a healthy baby is a small miracle for mothers and fathers. And all parents want their child to remain healthy in the future. For several years now, there has been the option of taking stem cells from the umbilical cord blood at birth and having them frozen or donated for later use. But does this make sense? Why cells from the umbilical cord blood? And what can the stem cells be used for? We have compiled the most important information for you.
What are stem cells?
Stem cells are cells that have the ability to develop into different types and forms of cells through cell division – they are the raw material of other body cells, so to speak. Depending on where they come from, a distinction is made between embryonic and adult stem cells.
- Embryonic stem cells are the precursors of all body cells – every human being develops from them. They are found in the so-called blastocysts, an early stage of the embryo shortly after fertilization of the egg.
- Adult stem cells, meaning adult stem cells, are found in many human body tissues, but primarily in bone marrow. The stem cells from the umbilical cord also belong to the adult stem cells.
What distinguishes embryonic and adult stem cells?
Embryonic stem cells can divide indefinitely and develop into any cell type. Thus, they are the basic building block from which an embryo grows. In contrast, adult stem cells are responsible for providing cells to replace damaged or dead cells. They thus ensure the constant renewal of cells throughout the body, but cannot develop into all cell types. Adult stem cells are already committed to specific cell types, such as the formation of skin cells. Skin stem cells can develop into various forms of skin tissue, but cannot replace a nerve cell, for example. That would require a different type of stem cell.
What are stem cells needed for in medicine?
Damaged cells can also be artificially replaced with new ones. This is used in medicine to treat certain diseases, for example blood cancer (leukemia). Sick tissue can be renewed or replaced in this way. This method of treatment is called stem cell therapy. Stem cells are needed for these types of therapy. Embryonic stem cells are particularly versatile, but their extraction requires the killing of a fertilized egg cell – for ethical reasons, this procedure is therefore prohibited in Germany. However, a method has been developed to modify adult stem cells in the laboratory so that they possess the properties of embryonic stem cells. These cells are then referred to as induced pluripotent stem cells. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, can be obtained by ethically completely harmless stem cell donations, but they are less versatile. Adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood, so-called neonatal stem cells, offer an alternative.
What is special about stem cells from umbilical cord blood?
Umbilical cord blood mainly contains stem cells that can give rise to various blood cells, called hematopoietic stem cells. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are particularly popular for stem cell therapy for the following reasons:
- Because stem cells from umbilical cord blood are particularly young and powerful, they multiply rapidly.
- In addition, they seem to be better tolerated due to their immaturity, which means that it is comparatively rare for the recipient of the donation to experience a rejection reaction.
- Normally, stem cells age over time and take damage from environmental influences. The risk of such cell damage from the environment is almost zero for stem cells from the umbilical cord.
- In addition, these neonatal stem cells can be transplanted even if the tissue characteristics of the donor and recipient do not match perfectly.
- In addition, their extraction from umbilical cord blood is ethically completely harmless.
What can stem cells from cord blood be used for?
According to current knowledge, stem cells from umbilical cord blood can be used, among other things, for the treatment of blood diseases, especially various types of leukemia.This is because the blood stem cells contained in the umbilical cord blood can develop into the different blood cell types: red and white blood cells as well as platelets. In addition, it is also possible to treat congenital or acquired defects of the immune system with the help of blood stem cells. By transferring the stem cells, the so-called transplantation, the hematopoiesis and the immune system of a patient can be completely renewed. To do this, the stem cells do not have to be fresh – they can also be frozen using a special procedure and stored in case they are needed at a later date.
How is the umbilical cord blood collected?
Once the baby is born, the umbilical cord has done its job. It is usually discarded after the baby is weaned. However, there is still blood in the umbilical cord at this time, which is rich in stem cells. This umbilical cord blood can be collected in the delivery room shortly after birth. To do this, the umbilical cord vein is punctured – that is, the blood is collected via puncture with a hollow needle – and the blood flows into a special collection vessel. This process of umbilical cord blood collection is completely painless and risk-free for both mother and baby.
What can be done with umbilical cord blood?
After collection, the blood is sent either to a stem cell bank or to a private company that stores the blood. In both cases, the cord blood is processed and the cells are frozen at -196 °C in liquid nitrogen for a period of ten to over fifty years. Basically, parents have the option of donating the cord blood or having it stored for their own use:
- Donation: By donating the cord blood, the stem cells obtained from it benefit anyone in need of a transplant due to a blood disorder. This procedure is also called allogeneic transplantation (foreign donation). For this purpose, the cells are stored in so-called stem cell banks. The donors of the umbilical cord blood do not have to incur any costs. The costs for collection, processing and storage are partially or completely covered by the stem cell bank.
- Personal use: With the storage of cord blood exclusively for personal use, the autologous donation, one keeps open the possibility to fall back on the child’s own stem cells. These can be used later, if necessary, for the treatment of certain diseases of the blood or the child’s immune system. So-called stem cell depots are offered by private companies. They are associated with costs that are based, among other things, on the duration of storage.
- Directed donation: This is an umbilical cord blood donation in which the recipient is already determined. This may be, for example, a first-degree sibling suffering from leukemia or another blood disease.
Expectant parents should contact the attending physician in good time if they are interested in storing umbilical cord blood. In a consultation, open questions can be clarified. It should also be taken into account that a donation is only possible in a clinic that has personnel trained for the collection. Therefore, the decision to donate also determines the choice of maternity clinic.
Does it make sense to store umbilical cord blood?
This question cannot be answered in a blanket manner. Most experience to date has been with donated cells, that is, with the transfer of umbilical cord stem cells to another person. Allogeneic transplantation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood is now an established procedure, especially in children. It has been shown in the past that good results can be achieved with the help of a transplant from foreign umbilical cord stem cells. This is possible because stem cells from umbilical cord blood have the advantage that donor and recipient do not have to be a complete genetic match. So far, there is little data available on the use of stem cells from umbilical cord blood for the patient’s own use – partly because the procedure is quite new. One advantage of autologous stem cells is that they do not cause any incompatibility reactions. They can be used to treat blood diseases later in the child’s life and are then available at any time. But: If the child falls ill with blood cancer, even the own stem cell transplants usually cannot help. This is because these often already contain the cancer-causing cells from birth.Then the use of donor cells makes sense.
Who can donate umbilical cord blood?
In principle, any healthy mother, provided she is of age, can donate her baby’s umbilical cord blood. To do so, she must visit a maternity clinic where the collection of cord blood is possible. Lists of possible clinics are often obtained from the providers of umbilical cord blood donation, i.e. stem cell banks.
How can I donate or store cord blood?
Once the decision has been made to donate or store the cord blood, the following steps are necessary:
- Choosing a clinic where the collection of cord blood is possible.
- Deciding on a provider who will process and freeze the stem cells from the cord blood. This can be a public stem cell bank or a private company.
- Placing the order and completing the formalities for storage, such as filling out forms.
- Sending a collection kit to the parents (depending on the provider), which must be taken to the clinic for delivery.
- Collection of umbilical cord blood shortly after birth, for mother and child completely painless and without risks.
- Transport of the blood to the contracted provider for further use.
What is the cost of cord blood storage?
The cost of storing stem cells from umbilical cord blood can vary greatly. It depends on the following questions:
- Is it a donation, storage for personal use, or a combination of both?
- Which provider will be selected, a private or a public one?
- How long should the cells be stored?
Some providers charge only if the stem cells have been successfully processed and are suitable for storage. Others offer cord tissue storage in addition to cord blood storage. This option also affects the price. In addition to a one-time payment, there may be additional annual fees for storage, which again depend on the duration of storage. Therefore, due to the variety of offers and the different prices, it is absolutely recommended to obtain information directly from the providers and to compare the conditions. Get comprehensive advice on storing or donating stem cells from umbilical cord blood and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
