Pediatrics and Neonatology

Baby Stems cells

Cord blood is contained in the umbilical cord and placenta of a new born child. Cord blood contains blood (haematopoietic) stem cells, which can produce all the other cells found in blood, including cells of the immune system. Transplants of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from cord blood can be used to treat several different blood diseases, such as leukaemia. Compared to HSCs from bone marrow donors, transplants of HSCs from cord blood appear to lead to fewer immune system incompatibilities, such as graft-versus-host disease. A limitation of cord blood is that it contains fewer HSCs than a bone marrow donation does; meaning adult patients often require two volumes of cord blood for treatments. Researchers are studying ways to expand the number of HSCs from cord blood in labs so that a single cord blood donation could supply enough cells for one or more HSC transplants. Some controversial studies suggest that cord blood can help treat diseases other than blood diseases, but often these results cannot be reproduced. Researchers are actively investigating if cord blood might be used to treat various other diseases.