What Are Stem Cells?

What Are Stem Cells? Related Information:

After the birth of a baby, the umbilical cord and the placenta is normally discarded. However, over the last few decades, researchers have realized that both the cord blood and the placenta following birth contain precious and valuable cells, known as stem cells. The blood from the placenta and umbilical cord is known as placental blood or cord blood, and it is this blood that is rich in young stem cells. In the past, very few parents were aware of the precious properties of this cord blood, which is why most didn’t think twice about having the umbilical cord and placenta disposed of. However, over recent year, awareness of the stem cell content within this blood has been raised considerably, and more and more parent-to-be are opting to have the cord blood preserved or donated following their baby’s birth.

Stem cells are very special compared to other cells because these cells have the ability to adapt. Stem cells are non-specific, and this means that, unlike the other cells, they can work towards the reproduction and healthy growth of cells in all areas of the body rather than just in a particular area of the body.

Stem cells are very adaptable cells, and research has shown that these cells can be used to treat a wide variety of otherwise debilitating and potentially fatal diseases and health problems. This is why it is so important to save this precious resource rather than letting it go to waste. Continued research means that stem cell therapy could one day help to treat diseases that are currently classed as untreatable or incurable, which means that these stem cells could save many lives in the future.

There are a couple of ways in which in which you can go about preserving these stem cells. You may want to donate the cord blood following the birth, and this will then be stored and used for treatment by someone that really needs it in the future. Alternatively, you can store the cord blood for use by your own family in the future should the need arise. This preserved cord blood could one day help to save the life of a family member, or even your own life.

There are a number of diseases that can be treated through stem cell therapy, and research has enables this treatment to be used on diseases and illnesses such as some cancers, blood abnormalities, immunodeficiency disorders, bone marrow abnormalities, and a variety of other potentially serious diseases. With continued research, it is hoped that the number of diseases that can be treated through stem cell therapy will continue to rise.

Traditionally, many of the diseases that are now treatable through stem cell therapy have been treated in the past through bone marrow transplantation. If stem cells and cord blood is not available, then bone marrow may still be the only option for many sufferers of these diseases. However, for a patient to be treated through bone marrow transplantation, the bone marrow from the donor and recipient has to match in order to minimize the risks of rejection. It is not always easy to find a willing donor with an exact match, and because of this many people have lost their lives. Even if a donor is eventually found, it is often too late.

With stem cell therapy an exact match is not required, because these stem cells are young and adaptable. The chances of rejection are far lower than with bone marrow transplantation, and with continued donations and storage of cord blood, these stem cells are easily accessible when required, which can make the difference between life and death when time is of the essence.