Baby Stem Cells - Cord Blood & Tissue
About Cord Tissue
Stem Cells
Scientific and Medical Overview of Cord Tissue Stem Cells
Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are found in umbilical cord blood in small quantities but it is the umbilical cord tissue has been shown to be a rich source of MSCs. These stem cells are contained in the Wharton’s Jelly of the umbilical cord which is the soft jelly like substance that surrounds the vessels of the umbilical cord.
MSCs can differentiate into many tissues of the body. They have been shown to be extremely robust and easily replicated thus making them ideal for cell therapy and transplant.
MSC can form a variety of cells in the laboratory, including fat cells, cartilage, bone, tendon and ligaments, muscle cells, skin cells and even nerve cells. MSC have been studied in great detail and scientists have advanced knowledge about how to grow these cells in culture. This phenomenon of differentiating into other cell types other than their normal physiological one is known as ‘plasticity’. It is as a result of this plasticity that the MSC can be directed to differentiate into the cells of the damaged tissue and replace the defective cells.
The capacity of MSCs cells to proliferate is known to decrease with the age of the donor. Umbilical cord tissue MSCs have the unique advantage of long healthy telomeres at the end of their DNA/RNA strands, which means that they replicate easily. As we age, the telomeres get shorter, showing lower lower levels of proliferation and reduced regenerative potential.
Due to the presence of placental barrier, umbilical cord MSCs also have lower risk of bacterial and viral infections than those isolated from bone marrow, adipose tissue and peripheral blood.
MSCs are being employed in both research and clinical environments for a variety of aesthetic and medical conditions that include: skin regeneration (wound healing and burns, scar remodelling, the protection from and repair of UV light damage, antioxidant effects against free radicals, skin pigmentation disorders); neurology (nerve regeneration and repair in multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson’s); cardiology (heart muscle regeneration); orthopedics (cartilage, bone repair); sports injury (tendon, ligament repair); reconstructive surgery (fat autografts); and many other clinical areas.
The advent of utilization of these MSC has the enormous potential to make regenerative medicine a daily reality for us. Regenerative medicine will guarantee the restoration of function of dysfunctional, diseased organs and tissues; something which conventional medicine and pharmacological therapies have not been able to do effectively.