Umbilical cord blood contains cells called Mesenchymal Stem Cells, that are capable of producing a variety of cell types, including muscle, bone and chondrocytes. Recently, a group of scientists in Brazil were able to produce Chondrocytes, the cells involved with cartilage production, using defined growth factors from Umbilical Cord Blood. This is important because the use of defined growth conditions will allow for the high yield production of a pure population of cells that will be suitable for clinical applications.

 It is a well-known fact that stem cell research is a controversial topic. This is mainly because of the way in which stem cells were commonly harvested previously, creating a moral and ethical dilemma among researchers and families in need. Today, Pro-Life groups are showing their support of stem cell research, thanks to ethical forms of collection such as cord blood banking.  
 

 Praxair, a company which supplies gasses and coatings, has featured Insception in its latest newsletter, profiling our use of liquid nitrogen to freeze cord blood stem cells.  

The stem cells which are derived from a baby’s umbilical cord at birth must be cryopreserved after being collected. This is an important step in the successful storage of umbilical cord blood. 

 Umbilical cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells that can be used in bone marrow transplants to treat hematological disorders and blood cancers. There have been over 25,000 transplants done using Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) and the data from these have indicated that there are less complications when UCB is used; importantly, a reduction in graft rejection and less graft versus host disease.

 For parents to understand all of the benefits of banking their baby’s cord blood, there are two options : public donation or family banking. Many parents struggle with this decision, unsure whether or not family banking cord blood is worth the cost. The best decision is an educated one, banking in either a public or a family is worth consideration. 

Expecting parents aren't the only ones who need to stay in the know about cord blood technology; it is also important for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to keep up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field. As such, there is a wide range of services offered to professional healthcare providers to educate them about cord blood banking.

There are many foundations that have been established to spread the word about cord blood banking and promote its use among expecting parents. One that stands out is the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation.

The Parent's Guide to Cord Blood was established in 1998 with the goal of providing parents with unbiased information about cord blood banking. In 2007, Founder Dr. Frances Verter and a newly-formed Board of Directors incorporated the initiative as a non-profit foundation.

 Mesenchymal Stem Cells from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood have been shown to help speed recovery in animal models of ischemia, spinal cord injury and stroke. The mesenchymal cells have advantages over other stem cells because they are accessible and have the ability to grow well in the lab. When the cells are transplanted to the injury site they have the capability to encourage new blood vessel growth, reduce inflammation and reduce cell death.

 Every month, Insception Cord Blood Program hosts parent education sessions in order to inform parents about the cord blood banking process. Expecting parents have the chance to chat with cord blood specialists about their questions and concerns about the procedure and its benefits. For the next few months, we're hosting several education sessions in various locations across Canada.  
 
Here are our dates for September:  

Online
October 24