Umbilical cord blood is the blood that provides the connection between mother and fetus in order to supply necessary nutrition and oxygen during pregnancy. Discarded umbilical cord usually right after the delivery is a very rich source of stem cells and there is no harm for the mother and the baby to collect it. In this regard, the use of umbilical cord blood, as an alternative to bone marrow, has advantages such as the low risk of graft versus host disease seen after transplantation because of undeveloped immune system of the baby. Noninvasive collection method also eliminates any risk of infection during collection. Besides being used as allogeneic and autologous, its biggest disadvantage is that the number of cells is insufficient for adults. Although being used mainly in hematological disorders, umbilical cord blood is also used in hearth, bone, cartilage, muscle and in the treatment of neurologic disorders as well as immunomodulator.
Oxytocin is a mammalian peptide hormone consisting of nine amino acids. Oxytocin synthesize supraoptic and paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus and acts as a neuromodulator in the brain. This neurotransmitter has important roles during birth, after birth and reproductivity. It stimulates contraction of the uterine muscles and facilitates birth. It also has the effect of protecting the brain from hypoxia during birth. Oxytocin regulates the menstrual cycle in females and serves in the genital tract ejaculation of males. Oxytocin reduce repetitive behaviors in social interaction and communication damaging diseases like autism. Nowadays, oxytocin therapy and cellular oxytocin studies have gained popularity. Oxytocin inhibits proliferation of breast cancer and other tumor cells. Oxytocin stimulates the cardiomyogenesis and differentiation of stem cells. It demonstrate protective effect from apoptosis on heart. Oxytocin reduces the inflammation associated with stem cells. It stimulates angiogenesis and repairs myocardial ischemia-reperfusion damage. The advantage of the oxytocin therapies provide cell production by itself in organism and hasn't any side effect.
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