Cord blood banking is defined as the collection and storage of stem cells present within the umbilical cord blood of a newborn for future medical use. Umbilical cord blood is rich in a type of stem cell known as a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC). A large market for the storage of these cells has come into existence over the past 30 years, with public and private cord blood banks now present in all major healthcare markets worldwide.
In this article:
- Cord Blood Uses
- Cord Blood Banking Companies
- Cord Blood Pros and Cons
- Is Cord Tissue Banking Worth It?
Cord Blood Uses
The history of cord blood uses begins more than 40 years ago. In 1974, the first year in which a bone marrow transplant was performed, the first report on human umbilical cord blood stem cells was also issued. The report proposed that stem and progenitor cells were present in human cord blood.[1]
In later years, it was established that cord blood stem cells had similar properties to bone marrow and could be used as an alternative source of stem cells for use in transplant.
The first successful cord blood transplant between a related donor and recipient was performed in Paris, France, in 1988 on a six-year-old boy from Duke who had the blood disorder Fanconi’s Anemia. The first successful cord blood transplant between an unrelated donor and recipient took place in the year 1993 at Duke University’s Pediatric Blood and Marrow Program, performed by Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg.[2]
Since these landmark events, more than 40,000 cord blood transplants have now been performed worldwide. Cord blood has since become recognized as a rich source of stem cells that can be used in the treatment of various diseases related to the blood and lymph systems.
Human cord blood contains several types of stem cells, including hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), and to a lesser degree:
- Cord blood-derived stem cells (CB-SC)
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)
Endothelial stem cells (ESC) - Monocyte-derived stem cells
Cord Blood Banking Companies
Due to the power of stem cells to treat various human diseases, cord blood banking companies now exist in all major healthcare markets worldwide. Private companies collect cord blood during childbirth and store it for future medical use by individual families for a fee. Public cord blood banks accept (free) donations of cord blood and store it for use by the public.
Cord blood storage by both private and public cord blood banks began in the early 1990s. The first public cord blood bank was established by Dr. Pablo Rubinstein in 1992 at the New York Blood Center through funding provided by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).[3]
The earliest private cord blood banks were:
- Cryo-Cell International (Oldsmar, FL) – Founded in 1989
- Cord Blood Registry (San Bruno, California) – Founded in 1992
- ViaCord (Cambridge, MA) – Founded in 1993
Cord Blood Banking Pros and Cons
Cord blood banking has impacted the global healthcare industry by providing a reliable method of disease treatment with several technical advantages over bone marrow transplant and peripheral blood stem cell transplant.
Key advantages of cord blood include that it:
- Does not require a perfect match (partial recipient/donor matching is suitable)
- Is associated with lower rates of GvHD
- Is associated with lower rates of viral infections
In addition, some governments have begun to extend support for cord blood storage through funding of public banking programs, funding of laboratory and clinical research, and offering tax advantages for those who elect to privately store cord blood.
Is Cord Tissue Banking Worth It?
Whether or not to cord tissue banking is worth it is a personal decision, based on the degree to which you believe that cells will play a central role in the future of medicine.
The tissue of the umbilical cord is known as cord tissue. The sub-compartment within it that is rich in stem cells is called Wharton’s Jelly. It can only be collected right after a baby is born. It contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which can be used to repair bone, cartilage tissue, and connective tissue.
Since cord tissue was first launched as a commercial service by a Taiwanese company (HealthBanks Biotech Company Ltd.) in 2008 and introduced in the United States in July 2010 by Cord Blood Registry, the service has grown substantially in popularity. Today, cord blood storage is commonly paired with cord tissue storage by private cord blood banks worldwide.
Public cord blood banks, which are federally funded by the government, do not store cord tissue, because there are not yet approved uses for the stem cells present within the umbilical cord tissue. In contrast, there are more than 80 approved uses for stem cells present in cord blood. Therefore, umbilical cord tissue must be stored at a private (family) cord blood bank.
Additionally, other types of perinatal tissues are also being stored, including amniotic fluid as well as placental fluid and tissue.
What questions do you have about the future of cord blood and perinatal stem cells? Ask them in the comments below.
[1] Knudtzon S. (1974). In vitro growth of granulocyte colonies from circulating cells in human cord blood. Blood. pp. 43:357-361.
[2] Ccbb.duke.edu, (2014). History of Cord Blood | Carolinas Cord Blood Bank (CCBB). [online] Available at: http://ccbb.duke.edu/about-cord-blood/history-cord-blood
[3] Ballen, K., Gluckman, E. and Broxmeyer, H. (2013). Umbilical cord blood transplantation: the first 25 years and beyond. Blood, [online] 122(4), pp.491-498. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2013-02-453175