Cord blood

The term umbilicard cord or also placental blood refers to the blood, that remains after birth and after cutting the umbillical cord in placental circulation - it remains in the umbilical cord and placenta. This blood contains a large amount of hematopoietic stem cells, that are nowadays used as a transplant (HSCT – hematopoietic stem cell transplantation), samilarly to bone marrow.

Obtaining the blood from umbillical cord does not disrupt the course of childbirth, it does not trouble the mother nor the child and it is not painful. By that the usage of rest of the blood, that would otherwise go to waste along with placenta, is enabled. thumb|Cévy pupečníku pod mikroskopem|230px Harvested cells are examined, cryopreserved and stored in liquid nitrogen. This graft is then ready for immediate use on a patient. The advantage of the cells from placentar blood is their lack of imunological maturity - these grafts are generally accepted better by a host even in lower HLA compliance, they cause less complications – especially lower GVHD (graft versus host disease) reaction incidence. Next advntage is a lower risk of infection. Disadvantages would include limited amout of the cells, weak (GVL – graft versus leukaemia) response and prolonged time period required for engraftment.

Cord blood can be donated and used for allotransplantation - for non-related anonymous recipient, or saved for family purposes - as autologous or allogeneic transplant for a relative (in HLA-matched siblings).

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