Public or private banks?
They coexist in some countries where the law does not have public or private banks, merely requiring a simple administrative authorization. In 2008, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, UK, Canada and the United States are members. Public banks do not buy the blood, and if an individual wants to keep the blood for the future of his child, he must pay between $ 2,000 and $ 3,000 for registration and collection of blood, then $ 100 to $ 200 per year conservation.
Properties.
The main category of stem cells in the blood is called hematopoietic cord. These stem cells known as "mothers" are also present in the bone marrow. It provides the bloodstream all red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells necessary for life.
When a stem cell transplant formerly known as bone marrow transplantation, compatibility between donor and recipient is necessary for the success of it. Parents are 50% compatible with their children as each parent gives half of its genetic code to the child. Sibling of the same parents, the probability of compatibility is only 25% or one in four children.
Collection, storage and costs.
In humans, the umbilical cord and placenta is collected after the cord was severed in the newborn. Blood can be collected while the placenta is still in the womb or after the placenta was expelled from the uterus. When collected ex utero, the placenta is placed on a sterile field to hang the cord.
After disinfection, a needle connected to a bag is inserted into the vein of the cord. Cord blood is collected by gravity into a collection device similar to that used during blood donation. Collecting an average of 75 mL (10mL to 250mL). During childbirth traditional gravity collection in utero is closer to the 50 ml, but a new tool for sampling will very soon exceed 100 ml in less than 5 minutes instead of 20 now.
The bank public cord blood then analyzes the blood to detect potential infectious agents, and "tissue type" is determined. In most public banks, cord blood is processed in order to remove the red blood cells before being stored in liquid nitrogen for later use.
Different ways to maintain hematopoietic stem cells. Volume reduction is done after the cord blood centrifuged. Plasma and / or red blood cells are removed leaving only a layer called "buffy".
Some cord blood banks n'enlèvent the red blood cells, other plasma but the majority will remove most of the red blood cells and plasma to reduce to a final volume of 20 to 25 mL. In order to preserve stem cells for a known period of about 25 years, a preservation solution known as DMSO (for dimethyl sulfoxide) is added to the final product before cryopreservation (storage at cryogenic temperatures below-150C).
Diseases treated with cord blood.
By the late 1980s, the stem cells from cord blood have been used to treat blood cancers. Other diseases such as genetic diseases can probably be treated with stem cells from cord blood but this probability is only part of preliminary studies. Cancers currently treated with stem cell transplants are among the types of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. This applies at present about 75 diseases.
