Onm-21: General Principles of Collecting and Storing Cord Blood Stem Cell

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth, which is usually discarded It contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, like blood. In addition, cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that may have potentially lifesaving benefits for your baby and family. The cord blood of baby serves as an abundant source of stem cells. These stem cells function as dominant cells because they contribute to the development of all tissues, organs, and systems in the body. Stem cells can transform into other types of cells in the body and create new growth and development; they are the building block of the immune system. This transformation of cells provides physicians with a way to treat leukemia and some inherited disorders. Cord blood stem cells have the same ability to treat disease as bone marrow does however, there is significantly less rejection. The cord blood collection process is simple, safe, and painless. It is usually completed in less than five minutes by health care provider. Cord blood collection does not interfere with delivery and is possible with vaginal or cesarean deliveries. Physicians will use one of two options for cord blood collection: syringe method or bag method. • Syringe method: a syringe is used to draw blood from the umbilical cord shortly after the umbilical cord has been cut. • Bag method: the umbilical cord is elevated to cause the blood to drain into a bag. There are several options for cord blood banking, including private banking and donation. When you privately bank your baby’s cord blood stem cells, you have a stem cell unit that is a genetic match to your baby, should a doctor determine that a transplant with the stem cell unit should ever be needed. It may also be possible that the cord blood stem cells will be a suitable match for a family member who is a blood relative, including siblings, your spouse, or even yourself as determined by a doctor. There is also the option of donating. By donating your baby’s cord blood stem cells, you may increase the likelihood of someone benefiting from a cord blood stem cell transplant from a registry. After the collection, the cord blood unit is shipped to the lab and processed, and then cryopreserved. There are many ways to process a cord blood unit, and there are differing opinions on what is the best way. Some processing methods separate out the red blood cells and remove them, while others keep the red blood cells. However the unit is processed, a cryopreservant is added to the cord blood to allow the cells to survive the cyrogenic process. After the unit is slowly cooled to -90 Celsius, it can then be added to a liquid nitrogen tank which will keep the cord blood unit frozen at -196 Celsius. The slow freezing process is important to keep the cells alive during the freezing process. The protocols used for the cryopreservation have largely been adapted from those originally designed for the bone marrow hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. There is no consensus yet on optimal procedures for these cord blood cells, although many cryopreservation strategies suggest using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), slow or controlled rate cooling, and rapid thawing.