As researchers work all over the globe towards unraveling the mysteries and intricacies of the human body they are discovering that Mother Nature has an ingenious method of creating life that comes complete with a number of internal systems that can be used in therapeutic applications. The most famous discovery of the past two decades has concerned embryonic stem cells. The fervor surrounding these cells is is related to the fact that they act as prototypes and are able to be turned into any component within the body. This makes them a fascinating avenue for future medical use and, indeed, the use of cord blood stem cells has already opened a window into their practical use in the treatment of diseases.
The debate has raged on concerning the ethical quandaries of harvesting from embryonic tissue. As the debate continued, scientists were able to find other tissues that were rich in these cells and beyond the umbilical cord and placenta, borne marrow within adults has been found to contain these progenitors.
Once thrown away and considered useless, science now recognizes there value and gives new parents the option to store these cords at facilities. Choosing to store this blood can be a valuable asset down the road if your child is at risk for any hematopoietic or genetic issues.
There are many cases in which childhood cancers are dealt with by parents having another child that is then used to provide transfusions and other therapeutic assistance to their older siblings. This choice can be controversial, but doesn’t need to happen if you have cord blood in storage.
Fortunately, there are no ethical issues involved in storing cord blood and their value cannot be underestimated. Unlike adult stem cells, the ones found in cord blood are naturally biologically younger. This youth is what frees it from the issues that aging, as well as exposure to things like viruses, do to their older counterparts.
This is because they are able to bypass the usually risks involved in graft vs. Host disease which can find the body attacking any foreign tissue that has been transplanted into the body which hastens rejection. The method of bypassing is simply the fact that these particular cells are not as reactive as regular immune system components and so they won’t detect a threat from the tissue.
With these younger cells they are not as reactionary as regular immune system cells and so transplants can happen more easily and the body will not attack the foreign organ. This can also make the use of anti-rejection drugs a non issue which is integral in long term survival prospects.
Also, harvesting these potential lifesavers is completely painless and involves a tissue that is always separated from the body at birth. In just five minutes you can have a little bit of medical security ready for storage.
These banks do require you to pay for storage, but this storage can be exceedingly affordable and there are no expiration dates when it comes to storing biological tissue. This is because of the use of cryogenic techniques which freeze samples instantly so that they never age or breakdown.
Understanding the potential benefits inherent in cord blood should make it a no brainer decision when it comes to saving and storing it. Talk to your physician today about making sure you don’t let this valuable tissue go to waste.
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