Fresh Umbilical Cord Blood as a Source of Multipotent Stem Cells: Collection, Banking, Cryopreservation, and Ethical Concerns
August 2023
in “
Life
”
TLDR Umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells for medical treatments, but its use is less common than other transplants, and there are ethical issues to consider.
The review paper discusses the potential of umbilical cord blood (UCB) as a source of multipotent stem cells for treating various diseases and its use in regenerative medicine. Between 2010 and 2022, 10,054 UCB stem cell samples were effectively cryopreserved, with Asian countries increasingly using UCB preservation. The paper also highlights the importance of healthcare personnel understanding the protocols for collecting, transporting, and storing UCB. Ethical concerns associated with UCB, particularly in relation to private UCB banks, are also discussed. The document also mentions that UCB stem cells play a crucial role in wound healing and produce exosomes that promote various signaling pathways beneficial for repairing damaged tissues and the development of new cells. Despite its potential, the rates of UCB transplantation remain lower compared to other types of transplants. Three alopecia patients responded well to treatment, showing hair growth from the 53rd to the 226th day of treatment. The document concludes that the scientific and therapeutic use of UCB has evolved significantly over the past 30 years.
