Stem cells can potentially become any tissue in the body, and embryonic stem cells are controversial because you have to utilize embryos to get them. Using reprogrammed adult stem cells is not ideal, given the many mutations those mature cells have undergone.

That’s why scientists at Salk Institute say their success in reprogramming umbilical cord blood cells into stem cells is significant. Dr. Izpisua Belmonte from the Salk Institute says they are unique in their ability to be transplanted without being rejected by the person’s immune system.

Cord blood banks could provide a potentially unlimited supply with this method. Dr. Belmonte says this process will require more testing to make sure the stem cells are safe and effective in practice.

Test tube and live mice experiments showed that the mesenchymal stem cells are capable of inducing bone and cartilage growth, as well as hastening skin wound healing, the researchers said.

At a recent international conference, the perception was that “Toronto is one of the hotbeds of stem-cell research.”

The study also finds there are a lot more stem cells in placentas than in umbilical cord blood, and they can be safely extracted for transplantation. Furthermore, it is highly likely that placental stem cells, like umbilical cord blood and bone marrow stem cells, can be used to cure chronic blood-related disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and leukemia.

Matthew Schissler, founder and CEO of Cord Blood America, said: “The funding is from a private, institutional investor and allows us to focus even further on our due diligence efforts that I announced earlier. Certain properties of the funding will be recorded as both an asset and a liability on our books.”

The cord blood is collected soon after the child birth once the umbilical cord is cut separating the child from the mother. The cord blood is collected from placenta through the umbilical cord before the delivery of the placenta. 97% of the blood is collected from the placenta whereas only 3% of the blood is collected from the umbilical cord. That is why it is sometimes referred as placental blood. The cord blood harvesting has to be performed quickly as there are high chances of blood getting clotted.

The procedure of harvesting cord blood has to be done by an expert obstetrician or by trained specialist who can perform them in a safe and correct manner. This is due to the fact that there are possibilities of contamination of blood during the procedure. Since the umbilical cord is wound up in birth canals there are high chances bacteria being present there which can contaminate the cord blood. Also any contact with unsterile equipment during the process of harvesting can prove unsafe.

Usually the cord blood is collected in a sterile syringe or a harvest bag. The only disadvantage of collecting them through a syringe is that amount of the blood drawn will be minimal, though it is cost effective and easy to perform. On an average the amount of blood drawn from the placenta is 90ml. But harvesting a larger amount of blood will contribute to preserving a larger amount of stem cells. So it is best to harvest cord blood in the special harvest bag. Whether the cord blood is harvested through the usage of syringe or harvest bag, care has to be taken to make sure that the cord blood is sterile.

Many parents wonder if the cord blood harvesting procedure is safe during high-risk delivery such as diabetes, high blood pressure etc. Cord blood harvesting is safe for not only high-risk delivery but also for unprepared delivery such as premature delivery or C- section or post-term delivery. It is not recommended only in case of HIV infected mothers or those carrying Hepatitis B or C. But in cases where there are multiple complications in delivery, it is left to the judgment and decision of the obstetrician whether to go ahead with cord blood harvesting as there has to be availability of proper time frame to handle such cases.

What is more important is the critical nature of cord blood harvesting. The challenge in conducting a high quality harvesting rests in the fact that a sterile cord blood is collected with the possibility of maximal amount.