Umbilical Cord Research

The best source of steam cells available today is probably the umbilical cord. Scientists want umbilical cords because umbilical cord blood is very rich in stem cells.

Stem cells are genetically unique to a particular person’s body. This means that doctors can use them for many kinds of therapy including cancer treatments. More importantly scientists want umbilical cord blood and the stem cells in it for all sorts of research.

Scientists Need Stem Cells

Umbilical cord research could lead to all sorts of interesting resorts. Some scientists are actually working on methods of growing organs from stem cells to take the place of organ transplants.

It could be possible to grow organs and tissue from stem cells because stem cells are the only stem cells that contain a very special kind of DNA. Unlike the DNA in ordinary cells, the DNA in stem cells theoretically contains all of the information needed to recreate any part of the human body.

This means that umbilical cord research could one day lead to new cures or treatments for cancer and ways to regrow or repair lost or damage limbs and organs. Most of these treatments are still years away but scientists are working upon them today.

Umbilical Cord Banking

To get enough stem cells for research, scientists are engaging in umbilical cord banking. That is they are collecting umbilical cord blood from women right after they give birth.

To get the stem cells, the umbilical cord is clipped off and the blood in it is drained into a special container. The container is then sent to a laboratory where the blood in it is used in umbilical cord research.

Stem Cells

The basis of umbilical cord research is stem cells, stem cells are special cells found only in fetuses. They are the cells from which human beings grow in a mother’s womb. The reason stem cells contain all the data needed to create a human is that they are blueprints from which a human being is created.

Stem cells have already been used in a wide variety of research and treatment. They’ve been used to grow new bone marrow for victims of leukemia. They have also been used in research to cure Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions. Many people think that replacement cells for degenerated cells will one day be grown from stem cells.

Collection of stem cells from umbilical cords is preferred because it is not controversial. Other sources of stem cells such as aborted fetuses have created controversy.