any body do have information regarding cord blood collection.few of our friends told us that it is of no use.it is just a scam.there is no proof that it will cure disease. we are really confused.
anybody planning to store cord blood?
what are its benefits.is it really imp to save cord blood.
please help us clear our doubts.
Delta replied.


Cord blood: biological insurance


A private cord blood bank coming up in Chennai offers parents a chance to store their children' s cord blood for use at a later date.



HARVESTING STEM cells from the embryo is fraught with ethical problems. With people demanding that embryos be given the same status as living beings, culling stem cells from embryos becomes controversial as it kills the embryo. Using adult stem cells is an alternative. But it carries its own baggage of problems. Stem cells found in the umbilical cord blood are a good alternative. But till recently banking stem cells found in cord blood was not possible in India. Things are different now. The recent entry of Reliance Life Sciences and the imminent entry of Chennai based Asia Cryo-Cell Private Limited will give parents a choice.

Rich source


To the uninitiated, umbilical cord blood is what remains in the umbilical cord and the placenta after the baby is delivered. The umbilical cord, which serves as a lifeline for the baby till then is, as a matter of routine, cut and the remaining length of the tube along with the placenta are thrown out. And with it goes a rich source of stem cells that are more precious than those found in the bone marrow or another part of the human body to treat some diseases. And it is this precious material that Reliance and Asia Cry-Cell intend to save for later use.

Ethical issues that are bogging down the harvesting of stem cells from embryos are redundant here. As a matter of fact, collecting cord blood poses no risk to either the mother or the baby as long as it is done correctly and only in those deliveries which are considered normal.

One of the guidelines issued by the journal Pediatrics is about the timing when the umbilical cord is clamped. If the umbilical cord is clamped too soon after birth, the infant may be deprived of a placental blood transfusion, resulting in lower blood volume and increased risk of anaemia later in life. With only a tiny quantity of cord blood available (3-5 ounces) for harvesting, early clamping of the cord will help augment this cord blood volume. There may be a temptation to practise immediate cord clamping to increase cord blood volume which is unethical. \" We will come into the picture only after the chord is clamped and the infant is taken away by the nurse,\" clarified Dr. N. Saranya, Medical Director, Asia Cryo-Cell, Chennai. The facility, expected to be fully functional by December, is in collaboration with Cry-Cell International Inc, one of the oldest cord blood banks in the U.S.

Once harvested, cord blood is preserved at - 195 degrees C. The fact that it has been successfully used to treat a variety of paediatric cases pertaining to genetic, haematologic and oncology disorders illustrates the advantage the cord blood wields. Immunological disorders, leukaemia, sickle-cell anaemia and other blood borne cancers are some of the most commonly treated diseases.

The highlight of the stem cells harvested from cord blood is their potential use in the same infant years later or in siblings or in totally unrelated adults. \" But we are dedicating the facility to store cord blood for use by the same person or his/her family members,\" she elucidated.

Redundant issue


The superiority of cord blood over bone marrow becomes evident in the less emphasis laid over perfect tissue match requirement. While a perfect tissue match (6/6) or 5/6 match is a must for bone marrow transplantation, matches as good as 4/6 are more than sufficient with cord blood. Stringent tissue match is hence a redundant issue. And like stem cells from bone marrow, the possibility of a perfect tissue match with siblings is as high as 25 per cent.

The redundancy for a perfect match is just one of the advantages. The \" off the shelf\" availability, no risk to donor and a low rate of viral contamination are others. Also, the graft versus host disease, a serious issue with bone marrow transplantation, is less likely to crop up with cord blood transplantation. The more primitive nature of the stem cells found in cord blood is seen as the reason for this. However, engraftment process takes a longer time, leaving the patient vulnerable to fatal infections for a longer period of time.

Not for heavy adults


Although the cord blood stem cells can be transplanted to adults, the small quantity of stem cells that are found in cord blood limits the kind of adults who can receive them.

For instance, the two main factors determining the success of transplantation are the weight of the adult and the quantity of stem cells transplanted. A CD34 count of 3-4x10{+8}/ml is a must. CD34 is a marker on white cells, which is used as an indicator of stem cell viability. And for the host, the dose required is measured as 1x10{+7} stem cells per kilogram of body weight.

According to Dr. Saranya, the Asia Cryo-Cell intends to collect, prepare and store cord blood for a fee. It has plans to have collection centres elsewhere too and not restrict itself to Chennai alone.

And according to her, each sample will be split into two 5ml samples and one aliquot (portion) will be stored in Chennai and the other in another city. \" We plan to exercise abundant safety and precaution as it is precious material,\" she said.

According to her, plans are to store even samples infected with hepatitis and malaria. \" We plan to quarantine these infected samples and allow only own-use. But we will reject any sample found to be HIV positive,\" she explained.

A price to pay

For all this, there is a price to pay. According to her, it could cost around Rs.60,000 to store cord blood for 21 years on a one time payment. Instalment options are also available but cost more. Free storage for some poor patients and concessions for some categories of people are also planned. Dr. Saranya does not see this as a huge price. \" This is a best form of biological insurance. A small price to pay for the child' s and the family' s future well being,\" she emphasised.

But the journal Pediatrics begs to differ. In its opinion, it is a big price to pay considering the actual usage by the intended person at a later date.

\" No accurate estimates exist of the likelihood of children to need their stored cells. The probability of own use is low (1 in 1000 to 1 in 2,00,000),\" the journal states. It goes on to add that given the difficulty in estimating the possibility of own use, private storage of cord blood as a biological insurance' is unwise.

Having stated that, the journal adds, \" Cord blood banking should be seriously considered if there is a family member with a current or potential need to undergo a stem cell transplantation.\"

Immense potential


The genuineness of the concern expressed by the journal notwithstanding, there may be some reason for a review. For one, the views were published nearly five years ago. And medical science has advanced much since then.

With every passing day, scientists are finding more and more diseases that can be cured by stem cell transplantation. And it is anybody' s guess what it would be like ten or fifteen years hence. \" The day is not far off when these cord blood stem cells can be used to treat metabolic disorders too,\" she avers.

With an immense potential to put cord blood to better use, is it wise to let it be wasted when parents cannot afford to spend money to save it for their own use at a future date? Every birth provides an opportunity to save another life. Its time the Government is seized with this issue and start public cord blood banks. Only such public cord blood banks can provide a repository for unrelated cord blood donation. Is the Government game for it?