WHAT ARE STEM CELLS?

Stem cells are primary cells which can be transformed into more mature cells of the organism; they are the precursors of all human cells. The blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth is called “cord blood”. Umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord and the placenta are all very rich sources of newborn stem cells. Most of the stem cells in cord blood are blood-forming or hematopoietic stem cells. Most of the stem cells in cord tissue and placenta are mesenchymal stem cells. The stem cells from placenta and umbilical cord under the right conditions can be transformed into many types of cells, such as cardiac, muscle, hepatic, haematopoietic, lung-cells type II, neural, bone cells, chondrocytes, lipoid cells and cells of pancreas islets. They are used for the therapy of the haematopoietic and immune system diseases as well as for clinical studies for the regeneration of the cardiac tissue in case of a heart attack, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and even for the therapy of diabetes. Stem cells are the “Master Cells” or “Building Blocks” of tissues and organs. They are the basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living organisms.

They undergo what is called asymmetric division, forming not one but two daughter cells: one cell often an exact replica of itself, a new stem cell with a relatively clean slate, and another stem cell that is ready to turn into a specific type of cell. This trait is known as self-renewal and allows stem cells to proliferate or reproduce rapidly. In fact, much of our body is in a state of constant renewal because many cells can live for only certain periods of time. The lifespan for a cell in the stomach lining is about two days. Red blood cells, about four months.

Stem cells are primitive cells that under appropriate conditions can turn into any cell type of the body. Umbilical cord blood and placenta contain the largest amount of healthy and young stem cells with better histocompatibility between family members and greater regenerative capacity because of their young age.

The ability to collect this valuable biological material is given once in a unique time in our lives, the time of birth.