Cord tissue and Cord tissue banking
Cord tissue or the tissue of the umbilical cord is an additional source of valuable stem cells. Your baby's umbilical cord is made of tissue that protects and insulates the veins responsible to carry blood to and from baby and mom during pregnancy. The umbilical cord tissue is packed with various stem cells, including MSCs (Mesenchymal Stem Cells) that are different than the HSCs (Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) available in abundance in cord blood. MSCs can divide, regenerate, and differentiate rapidly into various cell types such as cartilage, bone cells, and neural cells. They are also beneficial in tissue repair and reduce inflammation.
Cord tissue banking is the procedure to collect the umbilical cord tissue (after the cord blood is collected) and cryogenically freezing the stem cells for future medical use. Clinical trials are underway using stem cells from cord tissue for treating COVID-19. Compatibility is the primary reason families prefer cord tissue banking.
Cord blood and Cord blood banking
Umbilical cord blood or cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical post-delivery. There is a maternal-fetal cell transfer for boosting the mother and the child's immune systems during labor preparation. This makes cord blood a rich source of stem cells and other immune system cells at the time of delivery.
Cord blood banking is the method to collect the cord blood and extract and cryogenically freeze the stem cells and other immune system cells for future use. It is easy to collect the cord blood during the baby's birth through the umbilical cord with no harm to the baby or mother. This is the reason it is ideal for collecting and banking the cord blood during pregnancy.
The FDA approves cord blood and tissue banking ( https://healthbanks.us/company/ ) for the treatment of various diseases. As the cells present in the cord blood help the body regenerate tissues and systems, cord blood is referred to as regenerative medicine. The stem cells of cord tissue are well-tolerated with zero patient deaths, zero toxicity, or any side effects reported, thus providing huge-scale clinical use.