Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Links
Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
Umbilical cord stem cells are a vital medical necessity. These stem cells lack the ethical and moral concerns so many people seem to have when it comes to the fetal version. There are many diseases, over seventy to date, that can now be treated with umbilical cord stem cells. Childhood leukemia is being combated with the use of infant stem cells.
These cells are gathered from the umbilical cord after it is severed at birth and generally sent to a donation clinic where the blood can be processed and shipped within forty-eight hours. The reason why umbilical cord stem cells are more sought after than the adult graft stem cells some have tried using is the antigen factor. Umbilical cord stem cells are much more primitive and lack the antigen markers that would force rejection and dangerous inflammation in the body that older more mature stem cells tend to cause.
Umbilical cord stem cells carry all the factors necessary to become any type of cell in the body. This is the reason why stem cells gained their name in the first place. They are the beginning point at which other cells are formed. It is entirely possible that through stem cell research we may one day eradicate disease and death from old age altogether. There have been some tests that show the ability to regrow parts of the body including externally crafting new organs for transplant.
The unfortunate truth is that umbilical cord stem cells are not donated as often as they could be. Personal preference, religious or otherwise, tends to be the main reason. The other reason of note is that few people actually know they can donate the umbilical cord. Some families try to save umbilical cord blood banking for their own personal use and store them for later with umbilical cord blood storage. These companies process and store the umbilical cord stem cells in a manner similar to an insurance policy.