STEM CELLS IN THE UMBILICAL CORD By Rodney

STEM CELLS IN THE UMBILICAL CORD By: Rodney Encinas

STEM CELLS IN THE UMBILICAL CORD? • Why discuss stem cells and not something else? • What if I told you that you could save your son/daughter’s life in the unfortunate circumstance that one of them is diagnosed with some kind of cancer? There are stem cells in the Umbilical Cord that can be used to treat numerous diseases and its main use is to: Replace tissues/organs Repair defective cell types Deliver genetic therapies Deliver chemotherapeutic agents

WHAT ARE STEM CELLS? • • Stem Cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division, sometimes after long periods of inactivity. Under certain physiologic or experimental conditions, they can be induced to become tissue- or organspecific cells with special functions.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF STEM CELLS • Totipotent Each cell can develop into a new individual • Pluripotent Cells can form any cell types (over 200 different types) • Multipotent Cells are differentiated, but they can form a number of other tissues

VIDEO http: //www. cordblood. com/benefits-cord-blood/umbilical-cord- stem-cells

STEM CELL HIERARCHICAL ORDER

RESEARCH Yong Zhao conducted research on stem cells in the umbilical cord blood to see if the stem cells would differentiate in certain types of antigens The purpose of the experiment was to be able to find antigens that would allow for the stem cells to grow and therefore have a significant potential to advance stem-cell-based therapeutics. Healthy human stem cell donors were used to determine in which environment, (culture dishes, rabbits, and or mice) the stem cells would reproduce in.

RESULTS As a result he found that the antigen CB–SC that was grown in a culture dish, displayed embryonic and hematopoietic markers that allowed for the stem cells to grow in that culture CB-SC contains OCT-4 and Nanog, along with stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-3 and SSEA-4. Zhao concluded that Embryonic stem cells display two unique properties: self-renewal and pluripotentiality for differentiation, Stem-cell-based therapy, therefore, has significant potential to cure important, and common, human diseases. However, a major limitation for stem-cell-based therapy has been identification of a suitable source of stem cells.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES Due to the research efforts of many, companies such as Cyro Cell International have created ways to store umbilical cord blood that can be used to save a life of a sibling and/or yourself After a baby is born the doctors can drain the blood from the baby’s umbilical cord and it can be sent to a storage freezer where it will stay until an unfortunate event happens where you may need to use it The blood from the umbilical cord contains stem cells that can cure Leukemia and other types of cancers; it can even be used to grow replacement parts in labs such as for a lung transplant

FOR A PRICE! Cord Blood & Cord Tissue Banking 1 -Year Storage Plan $2, 624 w/ $250 annual storage fee 21 -Year Storage Plan $6, 374 w/ $250 annual storage fee

TREATABLE DISEASES Cancers Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Burkitt's lymphoma Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Lymphomatoid granulomatosis Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) http: //www. viacord. com/treatments-and-research/treatable-diseases-today/

CONCLUSION Stem cell research in umbilical cord is still in its middle stages Researchers do not fully understand do not know all of the different uses that can be used with the stem cells in the umbilical cord However, researchers are in the stages of working on the use of stem cells from the umbilical cord for: Type 1 Diabetes Alzheimer’s Disease Autism

ANY QUESTIONS? ? ?