Medial Umbilical Cord and
embryonic stem cells.

Stem cells are the building blocks of your body

Stem cells are the building blocks of your body and reproduce and transform into different cells and even organs around your entire body, and while it has recently been discovered that primitive stem cells are easily extracted and stored when taken from the medial umbilical cord there are still many people who are not willing to even consider the storing or donation of cord blood. Doubters and sceptics do come in many different guises ranging from parents worried about the health of their baby to religious leaders and politicians worried about the future. However, it is more likely that most of the concern has reared it's head because of embryonic stem cell research.

Parents are concerned mostly with the procedure of removing the blood from the umbilical cord, but there really is no reason to worry. The procedure is only completed once the baby is born and the cord has been cut and clamped. It is usually around this time that the medial umbilical cord is discarded because it is of no further use. Unlike embryonic stem cell extraction the procedure is both harmless and simple. The blood can either be drained or drawn from the cord and the entire procedure is completed once mother and child are safe. When a stem cell is removed from an embryo it can no longer act as a stem cell and, therefore, the embryo dies. The two procedures are very different and not linked in any way.

Most of the concern levelled at embryonic stem cell research is founded because people believe it is one step closer to controlled abortions in a bid to create an almost endless supply of stem cells. Therapeutic cloning is completed by taking a donated embryo and stripping out the mother and father's DNA. In turn, the patient's DNA is then added in it's place meaning that the stem cells produced will match the patient perfectly. Once the stem cell is removed, however, the embryo will die. Cord blood banking is not like this in any way. The procedure is safe and is only done on the umbilical cord that will be disposed of in any case.

For all the opposition that stem cell research may gain, there are still several key scientific facts that must be taken into consideration. Research began because new sources of stem cells are needed. Stem cells are present in certain areas of adults, for instance they are the cells that aid skin and even the liver in their regeneration should they become damaged. It has also been proven that they exist in the brain, but they are found dispersed amongst millions of other none stem cells making them impossible to extract at this time.

There are far few bone marrow donors available than there are patients who require a transplant and so a new source is needed sooner rather than later. There are more stem cells found in children than in adults and the medial umbilical cord is one such area that contains a lot of primitive stem cells. Primitive stem cells are so called because they have yet to begin the transformation into skin, other cells or organs that the body requires. Once this transformation has occurred, the stem cells do not show the signs of plasticity that they once did and it is for this reason that stem cells are at their most potent when in their most primitive form.

Medial umbilical cord blood can be cryogenically stored either for your child's personal use or donated to public blood banks. It has been scientifically proven that human umbilical cord blood keeps it's potency for at least 15 years under these circumstances but because these tests only began 15 to 20 years ago it is more than conceivable that this period could, in actual fact, be much longer. The high elasticity and storage capabilities of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood make this a viable, safe and ethical option into stem cell transfusions and research.

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