Cord blood

Umbilical cord blood is rapidly becoming a blood source of interest to the medical world. Like bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or UCB, has been declared to hold a desirable supply of hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs, are multipotent cells in the body that, upon being stimulated by specific growth factors, will differentiate into mature, functional cells. When looking at the use of UCB, it is important to determine the method of extraction, what this specific source of blood would be beneficial for, and finally the advantages and disadvantages of using this particular source. Umbilical cord blood is extracted directly from the umbilical cord that connects a fetus to its mother during pregnancy. According to…

potential uses for stem cells from umbilical cord blood. I will also discuss the advantages of using umbilical cord blood versus a bone marrow transplant as a source of stem cells; and I will justify whether umbilical cord blood banks should exist at all. First, I would like to begin by explaining what stem cells are and why they are important. Stem cells are a type of cell that divides continuously and can give rise to other types of cells. (Biology of Humans: Concepts, Applications and…

Cord blood, also called placental blood or umbilical cordblood, is the leftover blood that is in the placenta and the section of the umbilical cord that remains attached to the placenta after the cord to the baby has been cut. This blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma, just like normal blood. But it also has lots of hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells that are similar to the ones found in bone marrow. This is why cord blood is now being used on an…

What Are the Pros and Cons of Cord Blood Banking? Researchers and physicians are always studying more about treating various illnesses. Stem cell transplant has become one of the most promising methods of treatment, using 3 types of cells—those from bone marrow, blood and umbilical cord—to give patients new cells that will grow into healthy ones. While the first two require a separate donor who must be a close match to the individual who is needing treatment, umbilical cord stem cells are…

arthritis, and many other crippling effects that may occur in the human body (R. (2014)). Many of the stem cells that are used from the therapies can come from bone marrow, fat, and blood from the patient or even cells from more controversial areas such human embryos. Stem cell therapy has shown a lot of promising effects,…

The simple problem with this statement is that a child is just as human at the embryonic stage as it is in the infant stage. Although embryos do not contain all the properties of personhood they still deserve the respect and dignity we give others. Those lying in a bed unconscious do not have feelings or signs of personhood at that time. Although those people may not have any signs of personhood, we still treat them with the respect and dignity we give to the average person. Furthermore, stem…

Being informed can help patients feel empowered about their health and lives, and patients can confirm this verbally. Most importantly, these implementations help patients feel safe and certain about their care and alternatives. Conclusions In conclusion, progress in this area of research creates many possibilities. Embryonic stem research together holds promise and creates a threat to what can be considered human life. If anything can be taken away from this debate is that the world must…

Shannon says, "The human embryo ... is not to be destroyed or seen as disposable tissue that can be used in research". Killing of the embryo only happens if the parents of the IVF are no longer able to pay for the storage of embryos. Once the family is no longer able to pay or they have no need for them anymore the parents can choose to donate them to research. The parents must give consent and various forms are signed before they can be used for research. If the parent does not donate them they…

Spinal / Head Injuries Caused By Falls What is a spinal cord injury? A spinal cord injury is a severe damage to the spinal cord, most of the times caused by a fall usually from high level heights. The spinal cord is a long structure of bones and nervous tissues, that help support your back and that are connected to your brain and neck which send signals to your brain allowing you to move and walk. ” Vertebrae are the 33 individual bones that interlock with each other to form the spinal column.…

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients…