Cord blood is the name given to a recent medical discovery that has caused enormous excitement at the possibilities and potential that it has, to provide a future cure for some of today’s most debilitating and fatal illnesses and diseases including: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Diabetes. The “Cord” refers to the umbilical cord, the lifeline betwixt baby and mom whilst junior is still in the womb. The recent discovery that we are referring to is of course stem cell technology, and it has caused quite a stir within both the world of medical science, and the world of everyday life that we all inhabit.

Why All the Excitement?

Stem cells are the foundation cells of life. They are called stem cells because just like the stem of a plant, which is the source of that plant’s existence, human stem cells are the very source of our existence too. The unique thing about them is their innate ability to transform themselves into any other type of living cell. A stem cell in itself is somewhat like a blank piece of paper. As soon as someone writes something on that piece of paper it transforms itself into something else; an aide memoir, a scholarly text, or maybe a page from a novel. Cell stems too have the ability to become something other than a blank, neutral cell, which is how they start out in life. They can become a lung cell, a liver cell, a blood cell; they can become any sort of cell in the human body. The huge amount of excitement that has been generated is based around the possibility that stem cells can be used to replace the damaged cells in a diseased human body.

What is the Source of Stem Cells?

This article is written with particular regard to Cord cells, but the umbilical cord is not the only source from which they can be extracted. They can also be found in embryonic matter, fetal tissue, the placenta, and even in adults. There are all kinds of moral and religious arguments about using embryonic or fetal matter, and today’s society does not yet seem prepared to go down this route. Perhaps we never will be. Adult stem cells have now been located in many more organs than was at first thought. But the problem with using adult cells is in harvesting them in the first place.

There is however absolutely no problem with harvesting and storing stem cells from the umbilical cord – so called “cord cells”. There’s absolutely no risk or discomfort in the harvesting process, and no controversy or moral high ground to take in their nature; indeed there are several advantages in using cord stem cells; for example:

* When cord stem cells are used in a transplant procedure, the risks of any complications developing are drastically lessened.


* They are sourced straight from birth and therefore are available for immediate use. This enables early treatment if health problems develop.

* The early freezing of stem cells means they are effectively quarantined from all outside influences, thus reducing the risk of any contamination.

* The harvesting process is easy, and does not cause any discomfort whatsoever.

How can Cord Stem Cells Help?

The stem cells from the umbilical cord are in the umbilical blood itself, so this is therefore how they are stored – within the blood. But many people seem to think that stem cell medicine is still waiting to get off the ground, so it might surprise you to know that is has in actual fact been used for the past 20 years! In fact it is administered to help to combat many critical diseases including various cancers (including leukemia), and numerous other blood related illnesses.

Who can Benefit from Stem Cells taken from a Baby’s Cord?

The baby to whom the cord was attached is an obvious beneficiary, but only as long as the illness or disease that the blood is needed to treat, is not a hereditary condition that the baby itself has contracted. In this instance stem cells from a sibling, whose blood matches, would be the best alternative. Apart from the baby itself, any other member of the family who have a compatible blood group can benefit from a transfusion or transplant.

The Future of Stem Cell Research

There is no doubt about it that stem cell research is the most exciting medical discovery in recent years. It is the potential regenerative characteristics that hold untold promise, and as medical science progresses, so does the hope of putting stem cells to their ultimate life saving use.

About The Author: Robert O. Dewald has written this article.