Issue link: https://www.hub.camaf.co.za/i/928413
6 Why should we store life-saving umbilical cord blood stem cells? 1. Healthier stem cells. Cord blood stem cells are healthy cells that can be stored for stem cell therapy when needed. 2. A newborn's stem cells are young and flexible. They are young and active (a maximum of nine months old), compared to stem cells from other sources. This means that they can differentiate faster, displaying an impressive multiplying potential, and potentially have greater regenerative potential than bone marrow stem cells. 3. Ready to use. Cord blood is collected in advance, tested, cryopreserved and stored – ready to use when needed. Unlike bone marrow, there is no need to take time to locate a possible donor and then determine whether he or she is still willing and able to donate if a transplant is required. 4. Increased probability of finding a suitable donor. Studies have shown that cord blood transplants can be performed in cases where the donor and the recipient are only partially matched, which increases the potential of finding a suitable donor. In contrast, bone marrow grafts require a perfect match in most cases. 5. Improved transplant outcomes. Cord blood transplants show significantly lower rates of graft vs host disease, improving outcomes. The immune cells in cord blood are less likely to attack the recipient's own tissues and cause the transplant- related complication of GVHD. 6. Reduced risk of viral contamination. Cord blood is rarely contaminated with underlying viruses resulting in greater acceptance of cord blood stem cells in comparison to those from bone marrow. 7. New developments and treatment possibilities. Cord blood has been shown to induce regeneration of the central nervous system which may potentially be used in treating diseases like autism and cerebral palsy in future. 1 in 217 The chances of needing a stem cell transplant in a lifetime of 70 years >35 000 cord blood transplants performed in almost 30 years >80 diseases treated >5 million cord blood units stored in private banks There is no public umbilical cord blood bank in South Africa