Umbilical cord blood banking and its therapeutic uses: A review

The Cord blood is the blood from the baby that is left in the umbilical cord and placenta postpartum. Cord blood contains all the normal elements of blood-red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma. But it is also rich in haematopoietic stem cells, similar to those found in the bone marrow. Haematopoietic stem cell cells that can be used to treat some types of diseases. The first successful transplantation using haematopoietic stem cells from cord blood was performed in 1988 by a team lead by Dr E. Gluckman to treat a five-year-old boy suffering from Fanconi's anaemia. It has been estimated that more than 35, 500 transplants have been performed in children and adults for the correction of inborn errors of metabolism, hematopoietic malignancies, and genetic disorders of the blood and immune system. The umbilical cord is a narrow tube-like structure that connects the growing baby to the placenta. The cord is sometimes called the baby's “supply line” because it carries the baby's blood back and forth, between the baby and the placenta. It delivers nutrients and oxygen to the baby and excretes the baby's waste products. Three cord blood banking options are available public, private and direct donation banks. The protocols and standards for screening collections and storage of cord blood have now been established worldwide for both public and private cord blood banks. The use of cord blood provides viable options for paediatric patients with malignant conditions, hemoglobinopathies, metabolic disorders, immune deficiencies and regenerative applications.