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Stem Cell News
Stem Cells: A Breakdown, and Cord Blood Stem Cells
Explained
By Apurva Shree, American Chronicle, May 14, 2007
The magical ability of the stem cell has been made
popular by media and public controversy. But aside
from being familiar with the debate about embryonic
versus adult stem cells, few know the tangible facts
about stem cells themselves. What makes stem cells so
extraordinary, and how do cord blood stem cells fit
into the healing puzzle?
All the organ cells in the body are represented by
stem cells in some way, shape, and form. It is akin to
nature’s medicine cabinet when one thinks of stem
cells; if an organ became damaged due to injury or
poor health, the body could prescribe the suitable
treatment from this reserve. Each potential dilemma
would be treated with only one dose of a stem cell
because through the process of duplication and
differentiation, the cell would quickly create copies
of itself to repair the damage. The only exception
would be in the case of nerve, muscle, and bone cells.
Replication does not normally occur in these cell
types. Learning about the different types of cells,
categorized by their purpose, is important to grasp
this point.
There are three primary types of stem cells.
Stromal - These cells come from fibrous connective
tissue, cartilage, fat, and bone.
Hematopoietic - This type of cell is found in adult
bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. Platelets, white
blood cells, and red blood cells, are created by
hematopoietic stem cells. The most current studies
show that the cells are not only proficient at
producing the components of blood, but other cells in
the body as well.
Pluripotent - Any tissue in the body can be formed
with these cells. There are diverse forms of
pluripotent stem cells, the most widley recognized is
of the embryonic variety. Some adult stem cells have
shown pluripotency as well.
With this breakdown of stem cells noted, moving to
cord blood stem cells and describing the difference
can be better understood.
Cord blood stem cells have become a trendy subject
with the increasing popularity of cord blood banking
and cord blood treatment. These cells are vital in
treating genetic diseases such as, disorders of the
immune system and blood, as well as cancers. This is
because platelets, white blood cells, and red blood
cells, can be formed by the differentiating blood stem
cells contiained in cord blood.
Since they can be harvested from the placenta and
umbilical cord after delivery as opposed to resorting
to a surgical procedure, cord blood stem cells are
easier to harvest compared to bone marrow stem cells.
Once extracted, the cells can be saved in one of them
many cord blood banks around the globe. The cells can
be withdrawn at a later date to treat illness in the
donor’s family, or another individual can
potentially make use of the cells regardless of
familial relationship.
Neuroblastoma, anemia, lymphoma, leukemia, and many
other immune system, blood, and cancer disorders have
been effectively treated using cord blood. Recently,
Illinois doctors effectively treated leukemia using
cord blood. Given cord blood’s genetic
predisposition to become diseased, skeptics had
mounted against the use of cord blood on sickened
donors. But the recent leukemia treatment has silenced
the critics.
Because stem cells can heal almost any illness,
cord blood has moved to the forefront of the stem cell
topic. The blood can be used at a later date to treat
illness by storing it in a cord blood bank. For more
information, Cord-Blood-Banking.org can provide
assistance.
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