U of U Article

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplant

Newborn infants no longer need their umbilical cords, so they have traditionally been discarded as a by-product of the birth process. In recent years, however, the multipotent-stem-cell-rich blood found in the umbilical cord has proven useful in treating the same types of health problems as those treated using bone marrow stem cells and PBSCs.

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are less prone to rejection than either bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. This is probably because the cells have not yet developed the features that can be recognized and attacked by the recipient's immune system. Also, because umbilical cord blood lacks well-developed immune cells, there is less chance that the transplanted cells will attack the recipient's body, a problem called graft versus host disease.

Both the versatility and availability of umbilical cord blood stem cells makes them a potent resource for transplant therapies.

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/stemcells/sctoday/

Article from WebMD on Umbilical Cord Stem Cells

Umbilical cord blood stem cells

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are harvested from umbilical cord blood after a baby is born. Harvest does not affect the care of the baby or the mother.

Umbilical cord stem cells are less likely to result in graft-versus-host disease after a transplant. In this disease, the newly transplanted cells may destroy the other cells in the host's body because the cells do not match the others well enough.

Harvesting umbilical cord blood stem cells

Umbilical cord blood is drawn from the umbilical cord and placenta after the cord has been clamped and cut. Although stem cells are concentrated in cord blood, few cells are collected because the total amount of blood is small. The stem cells are usually frozen for later use.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise