From first blood. Why are newborn stem cells frozen?

To date, if not everyone, then very many have heard about stem cells. The topic is of particular interest to future parents who are on the way to making a decision about saving blood from the umbilical cord of their newborn baby. The health of the child can directly depend on the correctness of their choice.

Let's talk about why cord blood is stored in special banks. In addition, consider its characteristics and methods of application.

What is cord blood?

This name was given to the blood, which is taken from the umbilical cord of the baby and the placenta immediately after birth. Its value lies in the high concentration of stem cells, which have many positive characteristics.

What are stem cells

Cord blood cells are called stem cells. They are the main "bricks" in the construction immune system organism. In addition, stem cells have interesting feature, as the possibility of division throughout life cycle. This contributes to the restoration of any tissues of the body. And stem cells are able to differentiate absolutely in any other of which there are more than two hundred.

How cord blood is collected

So how should cord blood be collected? It should be noted right away that this procedure is completely painless for both the mother and her newborn baby. Other than that, it doesn't pose any danger.

Immediately after childbirth, a needle is inserted into the umbilical vein, through which the blood flows by gravity into a special bag. It already contains a liquid that prevents clotting. In total, from 50 to 250 ml of blood comes out, which contains from 3 to 5 percent of stem cells.

After the afterbirth has passed, the obstetrician cuts off about 10-20 centimeters of the umbilical cord and places it in a special package.

All biomaterials must be delivered to the laboratory within 4-6 hours. There they are processed, frozen and stored.

Stem cell shelf life and uses

Preservation of cord blood is a process that must take place in compliance with all necessary rules and regulations. After all, the life span of stem cells depends on it.

At proper storage this period can be decades, which is confirmed by the fact that the first blood bank was opened back in 1993. It is from that moment until our time that the first taken stem cells from umbilical cord blood are stored.

There can be no doubt that this biomaterial will be 100% suitable for the child himself in the future. In addition, studies have shown that (parents, brothers and sisters) can also use the valuable liquid. At the same time, the probability that the blood is ideal is within 25%.

Stem cells in adults

After reading the above information, the question may arise: why should stem cells be collected from a newborn child? Are they really not in the body of an adult? Of course there is. But!

The main difference is in the concentration of stem cells in the blood. With age, their number constantly decreases. The results of the conducted studies will help to verify this: in newborns 1 stem cell per 10,000 body cells adolescence- by 100 thousand, and after 50 years - by 500 thousand. At the same time, not only their quantity decreases, but also their quality. Umbilical cord stem cells are much more active than those obtained from bone marrow. main reason that is their youth.

Why is it necessary to save blood from the umbilical cord

Modern medicine has moved far ahead and can do a lot. But still there are some diseases for which a cure has not yet been invented. It is in such cases that the way out of the situation can be the use of cord blood, or to be more precise, the stem cells that are contained in it. For example, it can be diseases of the immune system. This also includes cases when restoration or blood is necessary, as well as biomaterial is used for the speedy regeneration of tissues after extensive burns or wounds.

Even if the baby was born completely healthy, this does not guarantee that he will not need stem cells throughout his life. In addition, they can be used to treat close relatives. Therefore, even before childbirth, it is worth thinking about the issue of collecting cord blood to ensure that in which case it is possible to restore the health of not only the child, but also the rest.

Cord blood treatment

It was mentioned above that cord blood and the stem cells it contains are a real panacea for getting rid of many serious illnesses. But without concrete examples such words will remain only empty sounds. Therefore, let us recall some of the most common diseases (although there are more than 80 in total), which can be eliminated through the use of such a biomaterial. For convenience, all of them will be divided into interconnected groups.

Blood diseases:

lymphoma;
hemoglobinuria;
refractory and aplastic anemia;
sickle cell anemia;
waldenstrom;
paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria;
sharp and;
Fanconi anemia;
macroglobulinemia;
myelodysplasia.

Autoimmune diseases:

rheumatoid arthritis;
cerebral palsy;
spinal cord injury;
stroke;
Alzheimer's disease;
systemic scleroderma;
diseases of the nervous system;
Parkinson's disease.

Oncological diseases:

neuroblastoma;
cancer (breast, kidney, ovary, testis);
Ewing's sarcoma;
rhabdomyosarcoma;
a brain tumor;
thymoma.

Other congenital and acquired diseases:

metabolic disorders;
immunodeficiency;
diabetes;
muscular dystrophy;
cirrhosis of the liver;
AIDS;
histiocytosis;
amyloidosis.

Special indications and contraindications for cord blood storage

There are situations when the issue of cord blood conservation needs to be given Special attention. This applies when:

family members are representatives of different nationalities;
someone from the family was diagnosed with blood diseases or malignant diseases;
there are many children in the family;
the family already has sick children;
pregnancy occurred after IVF;
there are suspicions that in the future there may be a need for the use of stem cells.

But it also happens that it is forbidden to save stem cells. This occurs in cases of a positive result for the presence of diseases such as hepatitis B and C, syphilis, HIV-1 and HIV-2, T-cell leukemia.

How effective is stem cell treatment?

Scientists have long known about useful features that umbilical cord blood possesses. And today, active research is being carried out on the use of stem cells for treatment various diseases. It is worth noting that they are quite successful, and in the near future, thanks to cord blood, it will be possible to get rid of many diseases. In addition, in the laboratory, a new full-fledged organ can be grown from stem cells! Such a discovery advanced medicine far ahead and put it, so to speak, on a new stage of evolution.

stem cells and what does it do?

After the decision to store the cord blood has been made, it remains to deal with just one question: where will it be stored? Are there special places for such purposes? The answer, of course, is yes.

The cord blood stem cell bank is a place where such valuable biological material will be stored in compliance with all necessary standards. At the same time, there are two registers: nominal and public.

In the first case, the blood from the umbilical cord of the child belongs to his parents, and only they can dispose of it. But in such a situation, they will have to pay for all services themselves, from collection and processing to storage.

Stem cells from the public registry can be used by anyone if the need arises.

Choosing a stem cell bank

When choosing a stem cell storage bank, it is necessary to focus on several factors. important points. Let's consider each of them in more detail.

Time of existence of the bank. In this regard, everything is logical, because the more time the organization works, the more customers trust it, mainly due to confidence in its stability. In addition, employees of such a bank usually have extensive experience in working with cord blood.
Having a license. This is obligatory item. The bank must have a permit for the collection, transportation and storage of stem cells, which was issued by the health committee.
base of the institution. It is best to choose a bank that is based on a research institute or a medical institution. This will ensure that they meet all the conditions for working with biological material and its storage.
Availability necessary equipment. The bank must be equipped with a double centrifuge, as well as Sepax and Macopress machines.
Availability of an automatic control system for cryostorages. This will help control the temperature in the room with cord blood samples, as well as receive reports on their storage for placement in a special archive.
Availability of a courier service. This is necessary so that bank employees can quickly arrive at maternity ward, collect cord blood and deliver it to the laboratory. The preservation of the viability of stem cells directly depends on the efficiency of their work.
Bank holding scientific research in the field of cellular technologies. This point is no less important than all the others. In addition, the bank must cooperate with medical institutions and leading research institutes of the city.
Availability of round the clock security. This point does not require further explanation.

Among other things, you can further clarify whether the bank has experience in using stem cells for treatment purposes. Having a positive answer will only be another plus.

So we got acquainted with the question "what is cord blood." Its use, as we see, is indicated for the treatment of serious diseases, when medical preparations already powerless. But in any case, the decision on whether to collect the umbilical cord blood of their newborn child or not is made only by his parents.

Among the many activities that are offered to pregnant women, the collection and storage of umbilical cord blood stands apart. The essence of the procedure is as follows: immediately after childbirth, blood is obtained from the umbilical cord, which belonged to the fetus. The cells isolated from it are frozen and stored in a special bank until they are needed.

The value of cord blood lies in the fact that it contains biologically active stem cells, and therefore is well suited for the needs of cell therapy and transplantation.

Cord blood banks are divided into nominal ones - they store the blood of those children whose parents have signed an appropriate contract, and register banks created on the basis of gratuitous donation. Any person who needs cord blood for treatment can apply to the register bank. However, the problem is to choose suitable blood it can be very difficult: it is necessary to match the main antigenic systems, otherwise foreign cells will cause a rejection reaction in the patient. Unfortunately, in Russia, the collection of register banks is quite poor, so you often have to look for blood abroad, which takes time (from 6 months to a year) and a lot of money (from 15,000 Euros). A possible way out of this situation is to store own blood even at birth: it will always be available and, if necessary, ideal for transplantation.

The cord blood preservation procedure is well developed and available on a contract basis to any parents - only few people have heard of it. We decided to find out more about this possibility and turned to the leading nominal cord blood bank for information. The Bank of Stem Cells "CryoCentre", created on the basis of the Scientific Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology.

Why is cord blood valuable?

cord blood rich in hematopoietic stem cells, i.e. progenitor cells of blood elements. They are used for transplantation when their own hematopoiesis is disturbed: with leukemia, severe disorders of the immune system and other diseases. Opponents of cord blood storage reasonably note that such pathologies, although life-threatening, are rare. However, on the other hand, in the future it is assumed that stem cells will be used for more broad indications. In any case, thousands of cord blood transplants have already been successfully performed, saving the lives of patients with previously considered incurable diseases.

Cord blood is not the only source of hematopoietic cells, but it has a number of advantages: easy and safe obtaining, youth, and therefore high functional activity stem cells and immunological compatibility. In order to use pre-prepared blood, it takes from several days to several weeks.

Cord blood from a newborn can be used to treat other family members. Successful transplants have been documented in parents, grandparents, and even cousins and sisters. However, children of the same parents with many children have the greatest chance of being compatible.

To save or not to save cord blood, each parent decides depending on their financial situation and how necessary they consider this procedure. It should be taken into account that cord blood sampling is especially indicated for those children whose families have experienced severe diseases of the hematopoietic system or already have sick children who can be cured with umbilical cord blood of a brother or sister, as well as ethnic minorities who find it difficult to find a compatible donor in international banks - registers.

How is cord blood collected?

After the baby is born, the midwife ties and cuts the umbilical cord. Then the maternal end of the umbilical cord is processed sterile solution and with the help of a needle, blood is taken from the umbilical vein into a special sterile container with an anticoagulant. Cord blood is usually small, about 80 ml, so it is advisable to additionally extract all the blood in the placenta.

The procedure is completely painless and takes a few minutes. It can be carried out as normal delivery and during caesarean section. Moreover, at multiple pregnancy it is technologically possible to collect cord blood from each of the children.

How are stem cells isolated?

Not later than one day after the sampling, the sample enters the bank. Before sending blood for storage, it must be carefully processed. First, the sample is checked for infections, the blood type and Rh factor are determined, then they are “processed”, that is, a stem cell concentrate is obtained. Via special device remove excess plasma and virtually all red blood cells. The resulting concentrate is analyzed under a microscope to determine cell viability. The next stage is cell freezing, which should not lead to their death. For this purpose, a cryoprotectant is added to prevent the formation of "sharp, cell-tearing" ice crystals. Then the concentrate is smoothly frozen to -90°C and placed in quarantine storage (liquid nitrogen vapor, -150°C), where they are until the moment when the results of all analyzes are ready. Finally, after approximately 20 days, the samples are transferred to permanent storage ( a liquid nitrogen, -196°С).

The output is from 5 to 7 tubes of concentrate. In addition to the main test tubes, several satellite test tubes are prepared - they contain minimum volume plasma and cells, sufficient for analysis. For example, if the owner of the blood wants to use it for his relative and needs to check for compatibility, it will not be necessary to thaw the main sample - it will be enough to remove the satellite tube.

How are stem cells stored?

Cord blood cells are stored in special containers with liquid nitrogen in a separate room located deep underground. low temperature supports special automated system, continuously monitoring the level of liquid nitrogen. It will work even if the central power supply is turned off. The cord blood bank is guarded around the clock.

Studies show that in this state, the cells remain practically intact for many years. Even now there is no doubt that they do not lose their properties in 15-17 years. Theoretically, frozen cells can be stored indefinitely.

Who owns stem cells?

Until the child reaches the age of majority, the supply of cord blood cells belongs to his parent or the person specified in the storage agreement. After the age of majority, the child himself becomes the owner.

How much does the contract cost?

In order to collect, isolate and freeze cord blood cells, you will have to pay a one-time fee of about 2000 Euros. In the future, storage of the sample will cost 3,000 rubles per year (the amount is prescribed in the contract and subsequently does not change).

What should you do if you want to save cord blood?

At any stage of pregnancy, you need to come to the cord blood bank, get tested for infections and conclude an agreement. Then, bank employees will deliver a personalized kit with a unique barcode to the maternity hospital in advance, arrange with the doctor and midwife, and ensure the collection and delivery of blood to the bank, where stem cells will be isolated from it.

It does not matter whether paid or free childbirth is supposed, or cesarean section. If a woman is delivered by ambulance with contractions to the nearest maternity hospital, you should call the 24-hour telephone and report your location - the bank employees will agree with the doctors.

Keeping your baby's source of healthy cells possible during childbirth is called - bioinsurance. Cord blood is a source of healthy hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells. This valuable biomaterial can be collected only once in a lifetime - at the birth of a child.

The stored cord blood cells, if necessary, will suit not only the child himself, but also, with a high probability, his close relatives: first of all, siblings.

Cord blood cells are used to treat more than 100 diseases: diseases of the blood, the immune system, including oncohematological, and a number of hereditary diseases, as well as cerebral palsy, autism and some others.

How to make a decision?

Stem cell storage should be considered as biological health insurance, especially if the parents have:

desire to protect the child possible problems with health in the future
belonging to rare ethnic groups
older child in need of a stem cell transplant, genetic predisposition to certain diseases

Cord blood collection

The blood collection procedure is simple, painless and safe for both mother and child, and takes no more than 5 minutes. At the time of delivery, after the umbilical cord is cut, the doctor inserts the needle of the blood sampling system into the vein of the severed umbilical cord and the blood flows by gravity from the placenta into a sealed bag. The container collects only the blood that after the birth of a child in most maternity hospitals is subject to disposal. At the same time, not a gram of the blood of the newborn or his mother gets into the container.

You should be aware that there are contraindications to cord blood sampling, further isolation and storage of stem cells: positive results mother's blood testing for infectious agents: HIV, hepatitis B, C

Gemabank provides everything necessary for cord blood collection in the form of the following kit: a sterile disposable cord blood collection system, disposable means for sterile blood collection (gloves, alcohol wipes, diapers, etc.), documentation. All consumables are packed in a plastic container for transportation. This kit must be taken with you to the hospital.

Cord blood processing and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) isolation

After all the blood has been collected, the container in a special package is delivered to the Gemabank laboratory within 36 hours. At the request of the client, delivery can be carried out both independently and by a Gemabank courier.

The Gemabank laboratory is built in accordance with the most stringent global quality and safety GMP standards. Here, in an environment of complete sterility, HSC concentrate is released from the umbilical cord blood. The blood is also tested for infections, blood typing and Rh factor.

Within 5 working days after the delivery of the kit to the laboratory, Gemabank representatives contact the client and provide information on the volume and number of isolated cells.

Girls, today I read an article about cord blood sampling for stem cells.

Cord blood preservation: why and how?

The value of cord blood lies in the fact that it contains biologically active stem cells, and therefore is well suited for the needs of cell therapy and transplantation.

Cord blood banks are divided into nominal ones - they store the blood of those children whose parents have signed an appropriate contract, and register banks created on the basis of gratuitous donation. Any person who needs cord blood for treatment can apply to the register bank. However, the problem is that it can be very difficult to find the right blood: it is necessary to match the main antigenic systems, otherwise foreign cells will cause a rejection reaction in the patient. Unfortunately, in Russia, the collection of register banks is quite poor, so you often have to look for blood abroad, which takes time (from 6 months to a year) and a lot of money (from 15,000 Euros). A possible way out of this situation is to store your own blood at birth: it will always be available and, if necessary, ideal for transplantation.

Why is cord blood valuable?

Cord blood is rich in hematopoietic stem cells, i.e. progenitor cells of blood elements. They are used for transplantation when their own hematopoiesis is disturbed: with leukemia, severe disorders of the immune system and other diseases. Opponents of cord blood storage reasonably note that such pathologies, although life-threatening, are rare. However, on the other hand, in the future it is assumed that stem cells will be used for a wider range of indications. In any case, thousands of cord blood transplants have already been successfully performed, saving the lives of patients with previously considered incurable diseases.

Cord blood is not the only source of hematopoietic cells, but it has a number of advantages: easy and safe collection, youth, and therefore high functional activity of stem cells and immunological compatibility. In order to use pre-prepared blood, it takes from several days to several weeks.

Cord blood from a newborn can be used to treat other family members. Successful transplants have been documented in parents, grandparents, and even cousins. However, children of the same parents with many children have the greatest chance of being compatible.

How is cord blood collected?

After the baby is born, the midwife ties and cuts the umbilical cord. Then the maternal end of the umbilical cord is treated with a sterile solution and blood is taken from the umbilical vein with a needle into a special sterile container with an anticoagulant. There is usually little cord blood, about 80 ml, so it is advisable to additionally extract all the blood in the placenta from the placenta.

The procedure is completely painless and takes a few minutes. It can be performed both during normal childbirth and during a caesarean section. Moreover, in case of multiple pregnancies, it is technologically possible to collect cord blood from each of the children.

How are stem cells isolated?

Not later than one day after the sampling, the sample enters the bank. Before sending blood for storage, it must be carefully processed. First, the sample is checked for infections, the blood type and Rh factor are determined, then they are “processed”, that is, a stem cell concentrate is obtained. With the help of a special device, excess plasma and almost all red blood cells are removed. The resulting concentrate is analyzed under a microscope to determine cell viability. The next stage is cell freezing, which should not lead to their death. For this purpose, a cryoprotectant is added to prevent the formation of "sharp, cell-tearing" ice crystals. Then the concentrate is smoothly frozen to -90°C and placed in quarantine storage (liquid nitrogen vapor, -150°C), where they are until the moment when the results of all analyzes are ready. Finally, after about 20 days, the samples are transferred to permanent storage (liquid nitrogen, -196°C).

The output is from 5 to 7 tubes of concentrate. In addition to the main tubes, several satellite tubes are prepared - they contain the minimum volume of plasma and cells sufficient for analysis. For example, if the owner of the blood wants to use it for his relative and needs to check for compatibility, it will not be necessary to thaw the main sample - it will be enough to remove the satellite tube.

How are stem cells stored?

Cord blood cells are stored in special containers with liquid nitrogen in a separate room located deep underground. The low temperature is maintained by a special automated system that continuously monitors the level of liquid nitrogen. It will work even if the central power supply is turned off. The cord blood bank is guarded around the clock.

Who owns stem cells?

How much does the contract cost?

What should you do if you want to save cord blood?

At any stage of pregnancy, you need to be tested for infections and conclude an agreement. Then, bank employees will deliver a personalized kit with a unique barcode to the maternity hospital in advance, arrange with the doctor and midwife, and ensure the collection and delivery of blood to the bank, where stem cells will be isolated from it.

It does not matter whether paid or free births or caesarean sections are supposed. If a woman is delivered by ambulance with contractions to the nearest maternity hospital, you should call the 24-hour telephone and report your location - the bank employees will agree with the doctors.

Has anyone used this service? Is she worth it or not? Who gave birth in TsPSiRe, were you offered this service?

According to statistics, about 200 million births occur annually in the world, during which about 20 thousand tons of umbilical cord blood are destroyed. Although many doctors claim that it is extremely valuable. Today, propaganda for the preservation of cord blood has begun to develop actively, and more and more often young parents sign contracts for its cryopreservation in order to have a kind of “insurance” for the child in the future. After all, it is believed that with the help of stem cells that are part of it, almost all diseases can be cured, including thunderstorms today- oncology. How exactly cord blood works and why stem cells are taken in maternity hospitals - in the material of AiF.ru.

Easier reactions, fewer infections

According to doctors, cord blood and the stem cells in it are much better and healthier than other types of blood. True, we are most often talking about its demand for severe pathologies that require, for example, a long serious treatment or transplants. The advantages of own stem cells are:

Less risk of transmission of hidden viral infections
Less frequency and severity of graft-versus-host disease
No risk to the donor, etc.

Stem cells appear in the embryo from the very beginning of its formation in the womb. At first, they are the internal cell mass, from which all human tissues and organs are later formed. Such cells divide very quickly and turn into 350 cells. various types. Their main property is to protect the body from various pathological microorganisms. As soon as they receive a signal of an "attack", they are sent to the lesion and turn into additional cells of that organ or tissue that fight the infection. Thus, they can help restore balance and replace damaged body parts.

But there is also a minus: over time, stem cells lose their efficiency and weaken, it becomes more difficult for them to deal with stress. And this is where pre-prepared backup options can come to the rescue.

The highest quality concentrate

Today it is considered most correct to take blood from infants. After all, their stem cells are still “fresh”, not deformed and not “tired”. The process of taking blood from the umbilical cord, which, in principle, no one needs after childbirth, since it has already fulfilled all its purpose, is automated. Therefore, doctors at the output receive a concentrated composition rich in stem cells. High Quality. The viability of cells after such isolation, as studies show, is 99.9%. For the procedure, parents are given an individual set, which can be handed over or immediately delivered to the maternity hospital. The collected blood can even be transported to other regions: the conditions will need to be negotiated with the personnel of the cryobank.

Next comes the cryopreservation procedure. After all, this is the only way to save blood and cells on long term. If necessary, it remains only to defrost them and carry out treatment. According to experts, therapy with such a remedy has been carried out in the world for 15 years. In the list of areas in which they fight diseases through such treatment:

Oncology
Hematology
Gastroenterology
Genetics
Gynecology
Dermatology
Cardiology
Neurology
Ophthalmology
Urology
Phlebology
Surgery
Endocrinology

How are cells stored?

Before storing cells, they must be prepared for freezing. To do this, they are placed in special cryocontainers, which are plastic bags or test tubes. What exactly will be used is determined by the amount of material. Each stem cell sample must be labeled and a unique code consisting of numbers or strokes is used for this. Later, all information is entered into a special database and duplicated, so that the probability of errors is eliminated by 100%.

Stem cells are soft-frozen in special facilities that maintain the optimal cooling rate and allow them to maintain their maximum viability.

Containers with cells after freezing are placed in separate boxes and immersed in liquid nitrogen. Thus, they are protected from external influence to keep them active for long period time. The electronic sensors that are in the storage facilities are responsible for monitoring the level of nitrogen around the clock without interruption.

It should be borne in mind that such a procedure is not from the category of cheap ones. So, on average, the cost of cord blood sampling is 70,000 rubles. And subsequent storage is determined by the conditions of different cryobanks, but on average, each month will cost 10,000 rubles.