Cord blood transplant is not a new technique in the history of personalized medicine. Since 1988, it has been around and has been treating many critical diseases and disorders. Many scientists and doctors are of the opinion that cord blood makes a better alternative to bone marrow for patients, who require a stem cell transplant. Even though bone marrow is still a more popular choice for transplants, some medical incidents suggest that the scenario is gradually changing. You might also be wondering which one would be better option for you and why.  Let’s find out one by one.

What are Bone Marrow and Cord Blood Transplant and How are They Different

Both cord blood and bone marrow transplants are conducted in order to replace the affected and unhealthy cells with new and healthy cells. Umbilical cord blood is the source of cord blood stem cells while bone marrow is the source of bone marrow stem cells. Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord after a baby is born. After collecting, the blood is processed to get stem cells and then it can be preserved for years. These stem cells can be used to treat many diseases within the close family of the child.

Bone marrow stem cells, on the other hand, are collected from a matching donor. The marrow is a spongy element inside our bones. The marrow is generally extracted from skull, ribs, hips, breastbone or spine. Stem cells are extracted from the marrow after filtration. It can then be injected into the affected area of the patient immediately or can also be preserved for later use.

Now let’s see which one is ideal, considering different situations.

In Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD), cord blood stem cells are preferred, where an organ transplant is involved. As cord blood is older than bone marrow, there is a relatively lower chance of getting an immune system attack by the new cells.

In case of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) matching, cord blood is considered a better option than bone marrow. HLA is the immune system marker that is used to identify foreign cells. Since cord blood stem cells are classified as the purer cells, there is no requirement for HLA matching altogether. One major problem with bone marrow transplant is, patients need to wait for the right donor. On the other hand, with cord blood this is not the case.

When it comes to rich source of stem cells, doctors prefer cord blood stem cells. The reason being, a greater number of stem cells are found in umbilical cord compared to bone marrow. Also, cord blood stem cells have more regenerative potential than bone marrow stem cells, as the former are younger in nature.

Cord blood transplants are considered a better option for patients, who are below 30 years and weigh less than 60kg. Cord blood transplants are ideal for patients with kidney, heart, liver or lung problems, where bone marrow transplant is not at all recommended.

However, no matter what you feel about both the procedures, make sure you consult your doctor before ending up with an option, because your doctor knows better than anyone else. If you have any query regarding cord blood and bone marrow transplant, you can write to us as well.

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As the science of stem cells took off in the 1970s when doctors realized that the stem cells found in the blood inside an umbilical cord could offer a much more secure substitute to bone marrow transplants that may find its way in the utilization of treating conditions such as leukaemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anemia. This is so since cord blood is power packed with multipotent, self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are the forerunners to blood cells.

The process of extracting this cord blood immediately after birth and storing it in state-of-art laboratories in India and overseas for future use is now a convenient and affordable reality for many Indians, thanks to health companies like Cordlife India. In fact, Cordlife is the only private Cord Blood Bank in India to offer automated cord blood processing with Sepax2, a versatile patented Swiss technology. This advanced technology enables easy handling and safety of processing and aids in highly efficient and consistent cell recoveries.

Once the umbilical cord has been clamped from the newborn, the cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord vein attached to the placenta. Cord Blood extraction is not only a painless process for both mother and baby unlike bone marrow extraction, but there is a 60% higher chance of matching cord blood unit in the family vis-a-vis bone marrow. Cord Blood cells are mature, flexible and have more usage advantages than stem cells extracted from the bone marrow or umbilical blood.

After cord blood is extracted, Stem Cell Banks preserve the stem cells via Cryopreservation. Under various such methods of Cryopreservation, any damage to the stem cells caused by any enzymatic or chemical activities is prevented by cooling to very low temperatures, without further damage being triggered by the formation of ice during freezing.

Stored Cord Blood can now be available between days or weeks of processing for treatment. There is a low risk of complications when cord blood is applied for stem cell transplants and therapy since they have the ability to regenerate in the desired way.

Globally, an estimated 35,000 transplants have taken place where cord blood stem have been utilized to treat over eighty life-threatening ailments, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, bone marrow failures, genetic disorders, blood disorders and immune disorders. Several medical professionals are also researching cord blood as a potential cure for conditions that cannot be remedied presently. Umbilical Cord Blood banking is no more an option, but a necessity to secure a healthy future for the entire family.

For more details about – Why Banking Umbilical Cord Blood should be on your “To Do” List? – visit https://www.cordlifeindia.com

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Should you opt for a bone marrow transplant or put your faith in cord blood? We shed light on the debate.

The world over, doctors are seeing a rise in the cases of bone marrow cancer[1] (also known as multiple myeloma). Bone marrow cancers occur when the white blood cells in the marrow become cancerous (known as myeloma cells) and begin to accumulate. Soon, they overpower the normal cells and attack bone tissue, which damages the bones.

Typical symptoms of bone marrow cancer include localised pain in the bone developing into a consistent pain that comes in waves, fatigue, fever and weight loss.[2]

What is bone marrow transplantation?

The world over, doctors perform bone marrow transplants from healthy, matching marrow to treat this disease; this is done so that new stem cells may be cultivated. Marrow is extracted from the breast bone, or the hip, skull, spine or rib – these are found to contain stem cells that produce leukocytes, erythrocytes and platelets.

However, the operation is often expensive and highly invasive. A bone marrow biopsy can reveal the extent of the issue, and if a transplant is deemed necessary, a search for the right donor marrow begins.

What’s different about cord blood transplantation?

As opposed to this, the use of cord blood in transplantation to treat bone marrow cancer is rapidly gaining ground[3], especially due to its advantages over bone marrow aspiration and transplantation. Let us briefly see some of these advantages:

– While collected bone marrow must be used within a few hours, cord blood can be stored and used even up to 12 years after collection.

– A bone marrow donor must be prepped and conditioned for the transplant under doctor’s supervision. No such condition exists for cord blood transplantation, with required units of blood being procured as per need.

– The recipient and bone marrow donor must be perfect matches, while in the case of cord blood transplants, HLA-mismatched transplants are possible.

– Stem cells found in cord blood are considered to have higher regenerative proportion than those in bone marrow – this has major implications in the cure of this particular cancer.

– Bone marrow may be transplanted about two or more months after the donor is found – this is done to prepare the marrow for operation, as well as complete legal formalities. Meanwhile, cord blood transplants can happen in a matter of days, once matching units are procured and the paperwork is completed.

However, there are certain factors to take into consideration in the case of cord blood transplantation to treat bone marrow cancer. There are no chances for repeat transplantation from the same donor and there is a risk of a genetic disease being transplanted into the patient during surgery. Doctors say that the chances of cord blood rejection are higher as compared to those for bone marrow transplants. It is advisable to speak with your doctor about both options of transplantation before making a decision.

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