FUTURE OF NEWBORN STEM CELL BANKING: UNLOCKING LIFE-SAVING POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

As medical science advances, the promise of stem cell therapy grows stronger. From treating blood disorders to exploring possibilities in regenerative medicine, cord blood banking is emerging as a powerful tool for safeguarding our children's health.

- Dr. Alok Khullar

The need to secure a child's future, in health, and otherwise, perhaps remains one of the most unswerving emotions that parents feel throughout their lives. More so, at the very birth of a child, not least in a world which is driven by uncertainty and is ever-evolving. It doesn't come as a surprise then, that parents are now increasingly turning to preservation of the umbilical cord blood of their newborn, a valuable resource, which could offer a life-saving solution in case of a future disease.

Umbilical cord blood, which can be collected and stored after a baby is born, contains lifesaving stem cells that have been used to regenerate healthy blood in over 30,000 transplants worldwide and treat hematological, genetical, immunological disorders and even other life threatening diseases.

But first, it is perhaps important to understand what cord blood derived stem cells are? In essence, cord blood stem cells are the building blocks of the human body. They are naïve or unspecialized which means they have the ability to grow into specialized cells. A stem cell inside an embryo for instance, will eventually give rise to every cell, tissue and organ in the foetus. There are two types of stem cells – Hematopoietic, found in cord blood and bone marrow and Mesenchymal, which can be isolated from umbilical cord tissue and other sources and are also called 'organ forming' cells.

Newborn cord blood is valuable because it contains the hematopoietic stem cells, which have the ability to regenerate and treat a range of blood and immune system disorders – those that require stem cell transplants. Certain kinds of hematological disorders like leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia, and many other genetic disorders like thalassemia can be treated with the stem cells extracted from the newborn cord blood.