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Hi Mark, Would this be different from than "cord banking", which is offered to new parents? I don't mean in the technique, I mean in the type of cells retrieve

by dr_ 9y ago

Hi Mark, Would this be different from than "cord banking", which is offered to new parents? I don't mean in the technique, I mean in the type of cells retrieved and their potential long term benefit. I only ask because the American College of Obstetrics current position is not to store cord blood as a form of "biologic insurance" ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26595583 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26595583 ) and was wondering what your thoughts on this are. It's a decision I, and some of my friends, have had to face as new parents.

markkat 9y ago
As mentioned elsewhere here: >>The cell populations are actually quite similar; there are both mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells in cord blood and bone marrow. In many ways, our service is 'cord blood banking for adults'. However, unlike a cord blood bank, we are developing potential rejuvenative therapies using these cells. The use of cord blood stem cells has been dramatically low. I believe that around 1 in 14000 are used. That said, cord blood has long intended to be only used for rare blood cancers. We see the landscape changing, using such cells for age-related disease, but also for rejuvenation. Given the low historical use, it's little wonder why storage isn't seen as high-priority. Personally, I see the young biology in cord blood as an asset that will grow in value. However, it should be noted that cord blood storage has been found to be of variable quality, it's worth going with a reputable service.