Cord blood stem cells are currently used in the treatment of several life-threatening diseases and play an important role in the treatment of blood and immune system related genetic diseases, cancers and blood disorders.Cord blood banking utilizes external facilities as a place to store and preserve a baby's cord blood. The cord blood of your baby is an abundant source of stem cells which are genetically related to your baby and your family. The stem cells are dominant cells in the way that they contribute to the development of all tissues, organs and systems in the body.Stem cells are able to transform into other types of cells in the body to create new growth and development. They are the building block of the immune system. The transformation of these cells provides physicians with a way to treat leukemia and some inherited health disorders. Cord blood stem cells have similar ability to treat disease as bone marrow but with significantly less rejection.cord blood stem cells are younger, they have better proliferative properties - they are able to regenerate more and faster than bone marrow stem cells.The use of umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat previously identified familial illness in a first degree relative provides a primary indication for collection and banking, the procedure and storage is costly, the cells have a definitive shelf life and success of transplant is not necessarily guaranteed.Cord blood is extracted from the umbilical cord and shipped to the private bank where it is processed to separate the stem cells which are then deep frozen, typically in liquid nitrogen.

Cord blood is really unique because you can collect it, save it and use it years later to transplant to a patient who suffers from cancer or rare genetic disorders.Cord blood banking is an increasingly valuable way to protect the future health of your child.Cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells which offer two important features: they can renew themselves and they can create different types of specialized blood cells.New regenerative medicine applications may utilize umbilical cord blood stem cells and/or cord tissue stem cells to rebuild cardiac tissue, repair damage due to stroke or spinal cord injuries and reverse the effects of such diseases as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's.Cord blood transplantation exposes the patient to one of the rare genetic disorders of the immune system or blood.The quantity of stem cells for transplantation is less than that in peripheral blood or bone marrow. This problem is greater for adults and adolescents as they need comparatively more quantity of stem cells for transplant.The stem cells found in umbilical-cord blood have the ability to turn into red or white blood cells or blood-clotting cells. Stem cells have been shown to grow new blood vessels around narrowed or damaged arteries in the limbs and restore impaired blood flow. Cord blood is also less likely to transmit certain common viruses, like Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus, potentially lethal infections for transplant recipients. CMV is carried as a latent virus by about half of the adult U.S. population whereas less than 1 percent of infants are born with CMV.