At the end of the twentieth century, thanks to the development cell technologies umbilical cord blood was recognized as a valuable biological material, every milliliter of which is now “worth its weight in gold.” Research has shown that umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells, which have the ability to restore the hematopoietic and immune system of the human body. Until 1988, such cells were extracted only from the bone marrow or peripheral blood of an adult. But this carries a certain risk to his health associated with general anesthesia(anesthesia) and blood loss.

What is the value of umbilical cord blood stem cells?

It has been scientifically and practically proven for many years that with the help of hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells, a person can restore the hematopoietic and immune systems that have been damaged as a result of illness, chemotherapy or other reasons. Currently, stem cells cord blood are used to treat more than 85 hereditary and acquired oncohematological diseases.

Cord blood stem cells have a number of important advantages over cells from other sources.

Youth. Throughout life, a person ages and is exposed to adverse influences external environment and ecology. Stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood are much younger than similar cells from bone marrow, since they are preserved at the very beginning of life and have not yet been exposed to various harmful factors.

Quantity. The number and concentration of stem cells in umbilical cord blood is higher than in bone marrow and peripheral blood. For example, 100 ml of umbilical cord blood contains the same number of stem cells as 1 liter of bone marrow.

Collection safety. The process of collecting cord blood is simple, takes no more than 3 minutes, does not cause discomfort and is safe for mother and child.

Potential and activity. Scientists believe that the number of cell divisions is limited. Additionally, because cord blood stem cells are collected at one of the earliest stages of a person's life, their ability to divide and become necessary for the body cells are very high.

Compatibility. Your own blood is always 100% suitable for the child. WITH high probability(more than 25%, which is very high rate) it will also suit his siblings.

Safety of use. Using your own stem cells is safe and does not cause immune complications. Required terms for the use of umbilical cord blood stem cells are the presence of indications for use and the absence of contraindications for transplantation.

Economical. Finding a suitable bone marrow donor can be difficult and expensive. If umbilical cord blood collected at the time of birth of the baby is stored in a stem cell bank, it is available at any time.

Application of umbilical cord blood stem cells

The development of cellular technologies significantly expands the scope of application of stem cells. According to statistics, today total quantity There are about 4000 clinical studies going on in the world using cell technologies. For example, in the USA, Germany, China and other countries clinical trials on the use of cord blood cells for treatment of cerebral palsy(children's cerebral palsy), acquired deafness, autism, diabetes mellitus Type I and other diseases.

Cord blood banks

There are donor and private banks for personal storage of stem cells.

Cord blood donor bank is government agency. It keeps records of received samples, entering them into international base donors, and carries out unnamed storage of received material. If compatible, it can be used by any person who is a candidate for stem cell transplantation.

Personal storage banks carry out personalized storage of umbilical cord blood stem cells collected at the birth of a baby, and only the child himself or members of his family can use them.

The decision - to save or not to save cord blood during childbirth - can only be made by future parents; this is a voluntary choice of each family. The main thing is to remember that you can collect cord blood stem cells only once in a lifetime - at the time of birth of the baby. Therefore, it is important to make this decision in advance.

How is cord blood collected?

Collection of umbilical cord blood is an absolutely safe procedure for mother and baby, since the blood is taken from an already severed umbilical cord, and no contact occurs with the child and woman. It is a safe and easy way to extract stem cells and is currently approved in developed countries peace. Medical staff Immediately after the birth of the baby, blood is collected using a special disposable sterile system. After which, in a special container, as much as possible short time(no more than 48 hours), the bag of blood is delivered to the cord blood stem cell bank for further processing (stem cell isolation, laboratory testing, analyses) and long-term storage at ultra-low temperatures (–150...–196°C).

Girls, today I read an article about umbilical cord blood collection for stem cells.

Saving cord blood: why and how?

Among the many activities offered to pregnant women, the collection and storage of umbilical cord blood stands out. The essence of the procedure is as follows: immediately after birth, blood that belonged to the fetus is obtained from the umbilical cord. The cells isolated from it are frozen and stored in a special jar until they are needed.

The value of umbilical cord blood lies in the fact that it contains biologically active stem cells, and is therefore well suited for the needs of cell therapy and transplantology.

Cord blood banks are divided into registered ones - they store the blood of those children whose parents have entered into a corresponding contract, and registry banks created on the basis of gratuitous donation. Any person who requires cord blood for treatment can contact the registry bank. However, the problem is what to choose suitable blood can be very difficult: a match in the main antigenic systems is necessary, otherwise foreign cells will cause a rejection reaction in the patient. Unfortunately, in Russia the collection of register banks is quite meager, so you often have to look for blood abroad, which requires time (from 6 months to a year) and a lot of money (from 15,000 Euros). A possible way out of this situation is to store your own blood at birth: it will always be available and, if necessary, ideal for transplantation.

Why is cord blood valuable?

Umbilical cord blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, i.e. the progenitor cells of blood elements. They are used for transplantation when one’s own hematopoiesis is impaired: in leukemia, severe violations immune system and other diseases. Opponents of cord blood storage reasonably note that such pathologies, although life-threatening, are rare. However, on the other hand, in the future it is expected that stem cells will be used for wider indications. In any case, thousands of cord blood transplantations have already been successfully performed, saving the lives of patients with previously considered incurable diseases.

Umbilical cord blood is not the only source of hematopoietic cells, but it has a number of advantages: easy and safe collection, youth, and therefore high functional activity of stem cells and immunological compatibility. To use pre-prepared blood, it takes from several days to several weeks.

A newborn's umbilical cord blood can be used to treat other family members. Successful cases of transplantation have been documented for parents, grandparents, and even cousins and sisters. However best chance Children of the same parents with many children may be compatible.

Each parent decides whether or not to save cord blood depending on their financial situation and on how necessary they consider this procedure. It should be borne in mind that cord blood collection is especially indicated for those children in whose families there were serious illnesses hematopoietic system or already have sick children who can be cured with the cord blood of a brother or sister, as well as ethnic minorities who find it difficult to find a compatible donor in international registry banks.

How is cord blood collected?

After the baby is born, the midwife ties and cuts the umbilical cord. Then the maternal end of the umbilical cord is treated with a sterile solution and blood is taken from the umbilical vein using a needle into a special sterile container with an anticoagulant. Umbilical cord blood is usually small, about 80 ml, so it is advisable to additionally extract all the blood present in the placenta.

The procedure is absolutely painless and takes a few minutes. It can be performed both during normal birth and during caesarean section. Moreover, during multiple pregnancies, it is technologically possible to collect cord blood from each child.

How are stem cells isolated?

No later than 24 hours after collection, the sample goes to the bank. Before sending blood for storage, it must be thoroughly processed. First, the sample is checked for infections, the blood type and Rh factor are determined, then it is “processed,” that is, a stem cell concentrate is obtained. By using special device remove excess plasma and almost all red blood cells. The resulting concentrate is analyzed under a microscope to determine cell viability. The next stage is freezing the cells, which should not lead to their death. For this purpose, a cryoprotectant is added to prevent the formation of “sharp, cell-tearing” ice crystals. Then the concentrate is smoothly frozen to -90°C and placed in quarantine storage (vapors liquid nitrogen, -150°С), where they remain until the results of all analyzes are ready. Finally, after approximately 20 days, the samples are transferred to permanent storage (liquid nitrogen, -196°C).

The output is from 5 to 7 tubes of concentrate. In addition to the main test tubes, several satellite test tubes are prepared - they contain minimum volume plasma and cells sufficient for analysis. For example, if the owner of the blood wants to use it for his relative and needs to check for compatibility, there will be no need to thaw the main sample - it will be enough to remove the satellite tube.

How are stem cells stored?

Cord blood cells are stored in special containers with liquid nitrogen in a separate room located deep underground. Low temperature supports special automated system, continuously monitoring the level of liquid nitrogen. It will work even if the central power supply is turned off. The cord blood bank is guarded 24 hours a day.

Research shows that in this state the cells remain virtually intact for many years. There is already no doubt that they do not lose their properties in 15-17 years. In theory, frozen cells can be stored indefinitely.

Who owns stem cells?

Until the child reaches adulthood, the supply of umbilical cord blood cells belongs to his parent or to the person indicated in the storage agreement. After reaching adulthood, the child himself becomes the owner.

How much does the contract cost?

To collect, isolate and freeze umbilical cord blood cells, you will have to pay a one-time fee of about 2000 Euros. In the future, storing the sample will cost 3,000 rubles per year (the amount is specified in the contract and does not change subsequently).

What should you do if you want to save cord blood?

At any stage of pregnancy, you need to be tested for infections and sign a contract. Then bank employees will deliver a personalized kit with a unique barcode to the maternity hospital in advance, negotiate with the doctor and midwife, and ensure the collection and delivery of blood to the bank, where stem cells will be isolated from it.

It doesn’t matter whether childbirth is paid or free, or C-section. If a woman is taken by ambulance with contractions to the nearest maternity hospital, you should call a 24-hour phone and report your location - bank employees will negotiate with the doctors.

Has anyone used this service? Is it worth it or not? Who gave birth at the Center for Pregnancy and Rehabilitation, were you offered this service?

One of the last interesting questions obstetrics is a matter of stem cell restoration of umbilical cord blood collected at the time of birth. It is not the fetal stem cells that cause so much controversy in the abortion debate, but the stem cells that very easily collect in the umbilical cord attached to the placenta (after birth) after the umbilical cord is cut and the baby is no longer connected to it. Long considered by-products pregnancy and the birth process, this “garbage” began to attract interest when specialists cancer diseases(oncologists) along with immunologists and transplant specialists have stated that blood from a baby's umbilical cord, collected at the time of birth, if stored properly, can be used as a bone marrow transplant if the child (or family member) requires anti-cancer treatment with radiation, which destroys bone marrow.

The bone marrow is where all the elements of blood are made: red blood cells (oxygen-carrying cells), white blood cells (infection-fighting cells), and platelets (coagulating elements). The blood in the umbilical cord at the time of birth is rich in what are called stem cells - cells that can transform into any of the three types of cells listed.
When a baby is born, its blood is very different from that of an adult. He has a completely different type of hemoglobin, which is gradually replaced by the adult type during the first year of life. And also a very high concentration of stem cells. Therefore, using this source, you can create a good supply of them.

This has led to such an explosion in two unrelated fields - obstetrics and transplant rejection - that a whole new industry has emerged to provide this service. And storage prices have dropped so significantly that they have become affordable to everyone.

Is such accumulation a kind of cancer insurance? Really, ask the critics, what are the odds? If you take even a hundred dollars or so a year for several years and compare (apples and oranges) the cost with the possibility that you will actually need cord blood, the financial risk may not match the therapeutic benefit. Or so they say.

But it's really comparing apples to oranges because just because you're the one who will benefit from it doesn't mean you're the exception. At worst it is a reasonably priced luxury, at best it is a life saver.

Let me toss some cantaloupes into the apple-orange mixture too. Even if a family member of the child needs his stored cord blood, the chance that it will not be rejected is double compared to blood taken from outside. Thus, depending on the number of relatives, the advantage in favor of the profitability of your “investment” increases sharply.

It's also a matter of simplicity. Storing cord blood in case it is needed one day is not the same as waiting to obtain bone marrow once the need has been identified. One of the stark contrasts when comparing cord blood and bone marrow recovery is that the recovery of blood taken from the umbilical cord at birth is painless, inexpensive and completely safe. Add to this the increased survival rate when stem cells are obtained from members of the same family, and suddenly the objections of critics begin to crumble.

I can name a lot of unnecessary things that cost significantly more than storing cord blood, and I believe we all need to take inventory of what is important in this life. But we all agree that life itself is important to us, and storing cord blood provides another opportunity to survive the stones and arrows of cruel fate.

Blood from the umbilical cord during pregnancy

Blood remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. After the baby has been successfully born, he no longer needs it: he now breathes on his own and feeds on his mother’s milk.

Taking blood from the umbilical cord

Blood is taken from the umbilical cord after childbirth and does not affect its natural course. That is, such a procedure does not pose any danger to either the mother or the child. However, midwives and doctors undergo special training to collect cord blood, since blood collected this way can only be used if certain conditions have been met.

Blood obtained from the umbilical cord, according to current regulations, must be stored and transported at room temperature. Within 24 hours, she is taken to a blood processing center.

Directed cord blood donation during pregnancy

When blood is taken from the umbilical cord for specific help to one of the sick family members, they talk about directed donation. There is even the possibility of storing cord blood for the purpose of using it exclusively for your own needs. However, such forethought can cost you quite a lot, since this service is provided only by private companies. Meanwhile, in case of illness, the benefits of using one’s own cord blood are estimated to be modern medicine, is very small. In particular, because with leukemia, one’s own blood is most likely unsuitable for stem cell transplantation: there is a risk of recurrent disease.

Try to inquire in advance about blood banks that store cord blood. In order to have a good understanding of the abundance of various information and offers, it is better to seek advice from an independent specialist. But first of all, talk to your doctor. He can recommend literature on this topic and name relevant institutions where you can get more detailed information.

What are stem cells and why store them?

IN lately Quite often, expectant mothers began to become interested and ask about umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Stem cells are special cells that are the precursors of absolutely all cells in our body. Under certain conditions, cells of any tissues and organs can be “obtained” and “built” from these cells.

Stem cells are like universal “spare parts”. In the event of some serious damage to our body, it is possible to “send” “magic cells” to the problem area, which “transform” into the necessary new healthy cells, replacing the sick and damaged ones.

Why are expectant mothers puzzled by this question? The fact is that these same “magic” cells can be collected from umbilical cord blood during childbirth.

Stem cells collected in this way can be useful to your child if necessary, as they are 100% suitable for him. There is also a potential opportunity to use these cages for the baby's siblings and parents, since there is a high probability of their compatibility.

Recently, stem cells have traditionally been used for treatment oncological diseases(blood cancer can be successfully cured with their help). Constant scientific research is being conducted into the possibility of using cell stems in therapy multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, myocardial infarction, diabetes and other diseases.

If you decide to collect and store stem cells, the bank you choose will provide you with special containers and instructions for collecting cord blood. Since this procedure is already quite common, doctors and obstetricians at the maternity hospital know how to perform it. While the newborn gets acquainted with his new world in another room (he is examined, weighed, washed, etc.), your doctor, using a special sterile instrument, collects the blood located in the umbilical cord into an airtight container. After this, the birth of the placenta occurs.

The collected cord blood is delivered to the bank within 24 hours, where it will undergo special processing and stem cells will be isolated from it. Subsequently, they will be frozen in a special storage facility.

If stem cells are not collected, the placenta and umbilical cord must be disposed of after examination.

The “magic material” is stored in special jars - these are licensed medical institutions, conducting analysis, processing, research and storage of stem cells.

Whether or not to do this, everyone decides for themselves, based on own desires and opportunities. The likelihood that a child will need stem cells throughout his life (blood cancer, for example) is small. But, nevertheless, collecting cord blood during childbirth is biological insurance. Of course, you can only talk about insurance if the storage facility you choose guarantees the quality of the stored material.

In many countries, the collection and preservation of umbilical cord blood is common, and medical research prove that cord blood has healing properties and can even save lives. Some clinics offer cord blood collection and storage. But since the service is far from cheap, it’s worth figuring out how justified these expenses will be and why such a service is needed.

Cord blood is not similar to ordinary blood; it has no analogue. Its peculiarity is that it contains stem cells. Stem cells are a kind of blood pre-cells, from which blood cells (erythrocytes, platelets, leukocytes) are subsequently formed. Today, stem cell transplantation is successfully used to treat pathologies, and research into the use of blood collected from the fetal umbilical cord vein is constantly updated with new encouraging data.

Fetal cord blood is a unique biomaterial. Her medicinal properties first attracted attention and began to be carefully studied in 1988, when stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood were administered to a child with a fatal disease and he was cured. This gave hope to many terminally ill people. Since then, medical research in the study and use of stem cells has advanced.