Umbilical cord blood stem cells; current uses and challenges in saving lives!!!

Abstract

The moment of birth not only means the delivery of a new life into the world but also presents a onetime opportunity to save another person’s life or have a direct impact on the future of medical research through the donation of umbilical cord blood stem cells. Unfortunately, these lifesaving cells are routinely discarded following the birth of a child, often regarded as medical waste and most of them are not aware of their significance.⁹ Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) is a valuable alternative source of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs). It has unique advantages of easy procurement, absence of risk to donors, low risk of transmitting infections, immediate availability, greater tolerance of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) disparity, and lower incidence of inducing severe Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD). In the last several years, these features of UCB permit the field of UCB transplantation (UCBT) to move at a faster pace for both children and adults with malignancies and nonmalignancies.¹⁰