Stem cell storage
Don’t let the scientific lingo stop you from storing your baby’s stem cells. We break it down so you can make an informed decision about this lifesaving opportunity
Banking on your baby’s future
Among all the many choices you’re faced with as a mom-to-be is the issue of whether or not you want to collect and store baby’s umbilical cord blood and/ or tissue at birth. It’s a procedure that’s easily misunderstood, so it’s important to know the facts when weighing up this decision.
STEM CELLS EXPLAINED
Stem cells are considered to be the building blocks of the human body, as they have the unique ability to turn into the specialised cells that make up the human body, such as blood, skin, muscle and bones. In fact, we all have stem cells in our bodies that play a role in replenishing dying cells and regenerating damaged or aged tissue. Adult stem cells are largely multipotent, which means that they are restricted to forming cells that are specific to the tissue they are found in. Mesenchymal stem cells form fatty tissue, ligaments, skin, muscle, nerves, cartilage, tendons and bone marrow. Haematopoietic stem cells create blood cells – red cells, white cells and platelets – while neural stem cells give rise to cells in the nervous system. The stem cells found in the umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord tissue of
newborn babies are referred to as perinatal stem cells. They’re basically brand new, as they’re just nine months old at the most, and so have the ability to divide and differentiate into specific functions better and faster than adult stem cells. They’ve been protected in the womb from many of the infections and viruses found in the world, and so are less likely to have been affected by any diseases. Because perinatal stem cells have not differentiated into specific cell types, they are called pluripotent. This means that they can potentially turn into any one of the 200 types of cells that make up the human body. They’re also less likely to cause complications in transplants from donor to patient (allogeneic transplants) than other adult stem cells.
A BOON TO MEDICINE
Medical science looks to stem cells as a toolbox with which to treat certain illnesses and conditions, as well as regenerate damaged or diseased tissues. When cells, tissues or organs from one person are transplanted into another, in what is called an allogeneic transplant, the chances of the recipient’s body rejecting them is high. This is because the recipient’s body sees the new cells, tissue or organ as an invader, and so attacks the foreign object as if it were a disease. Even with a transplant from a matched donor, the chances of developing a condition known as graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is high. Besides requiring lifelong treatment with medication to prevent the recipient’s body rejecting the new cells, tissue or organ outright, GvHD is a serious condition that also affects the skin, gastrointestinal system, the eyes and liver. Stem cells can be used in autologous transplants, in which the patient’s stem cells from the blood or bone marrow are used for treatment. Using your own stem cells, rather than that of a donor, makes sense as your body will not reject its own cells. However, harvesting enough adult stem cells from our own bodies for a successful transplant can be difficult, and the procedures to do this are often quite invasive. This is what makes stem cells derived from the umbilical cord blood and tissue at your baby’s birth such a hot topic.
CORD BLOOD, TISSUE, OR BOTH?
Consider the therapeutic and healing potential of your baby’s perinatal stem cells, keeping in mind though that they are not a cure-all for everything. Umbilical cord blood contains haematopoietic stem cells that are used to regenerate bone marrow. They’re also routinely used in the treatment of more than 80 kinds of blood-related diseases, such as leukaemia, sickle cell anaemia and lymphomas, to name a few. This blood is found in the vein of the umbilical cord and
placenta at birth. To date, the stem cells derived from cord blood has been used in around 35 000 transplants worldwide to regenerate healthy blood and immune systems. Research is also being conducted using these stem cells on new therapies in autism, cerebral palsy, type 1 diabetes and more. The actual tissue of the umbilical cord contains mesenchymal stem cells, which have the potential to repair or even create tissues like cartilage, muscle, bone or liver tissue. Medical research is also ongoing into its applications in skin regeneration, heart muscle regeneration, and even neurology (treating multiple sclerosis, for example). This research is ongoing and the future holds many exciting possibilities in the application of mesenchymal stem cells. In fact, there are currently 4 000 clinical trials taking place across the world using mesenchymal stem cells. Both types of these perinatal stem cells are easy to access and are found in large numbers – factors that make harvesting adult stem cells tricky by comparison. What makes them extra special is that they are a perfect genetic match for your baby, so there is no risk of rejection if they’re transplanted in him. There’s also a one in four chance that the stem cells are a match for a sibling. What’s more, collecting umbilical cord blood and tissue at birth is a completely non-invasive and painless procedure that carries with it no moral, ethical or religious concerns – the umbilical cord and placenta are usually discarded as medical waste after birth.
WHAT A COLLECTION INVOLVES
While all this sounds quite daunting, the collection process is quite simple. On the day of your baby’s birth, you hand the collection kit you received from your chosen stem cell storage bank to your doctor, or, in some cases, the nurse dedicated to collecting the cord blood and tissue. Once baby is born, the umbilical cord is clamped and cut as per normal in any kind of birth – so you can practise cord blood and tissue collection whether you have a vaginal or caesarean birth. It’s completely non-invasive and neither you nor your baby feel a thing. While the paediatrician is checking over your baby, a needle is inserted into the vein of the umbilical cord and the blood is drained into a special blood bag. The more blood that’s collected, the more stem cells will be available for storage (and therapeutic therapy, if needed), so the sooner this is done after birth, the better. If you’ve decided to store cord tissue as well, a 10-15cm piece of the umbilical cord is cut and placed in a container. These are then collected by your storage bank and taken to the lab for processing, where the stem cells are extracted, and their quantity and quality is determined. You’ll be notified by the storage bank whether the cells harvested are viable and can be used successfully in the future. Once this is done, the cells are marked clearly and stored within vials in aluminium cases in tanks powered by liquid nitrogen in a process known as cryopreservation. If you need to use these cells for anything in the future, you or your child’s medical professional notify the lab so that they can be released. Delayed cord clamping, where the baby remains attached to the umbilical cord and placenta for some time after birth, can still be done when you’re collecting cord blood and tissue. However, the delay can only be for one to three minutes and still leave enough substance for a cord blood collection. Discuss this with your gynaecologist before the birth.
IT’S REALLY UP TO YOU
The chance of your baby developing one of the life-threatening illnesses that stem cells can treat it quite low – so the chance of him ever needing to use those stored stem cells are quite slim. But when you consider that scientists and researchers believe stem cells are the future of medical therapy, and that the number of diseases that are treatable with stem cells increases as medical science advances, the likelihood of your child using them in your lifetime increases too. This is what makes the decision of whether or not to store your baby’s stem cells such an important one.
COLLECTING UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD AND TISSUE AT BIRTH IS A COMPLETELY NON-INVASIVE AND PAINLESS PROCEDURE THAT CARRIES WITH IT NO MORAL, ETHICAL OR RELIGIOUS CONCERNS