Fresh Umbilical Cord Blood—A Source of Multipotent Stem Cells, Collection, Banking, Cryopreservation, and Ethical Concerns

Abstract

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a rich source of hematopoietic cells that can be used to replace bone marrow components. Many blood disorders and systemic illnesses are increasingly being treated with stem cells as regenerative medical therapy. Presently, collected blood has been stored in either public or private banks for allogenic or autologous transplantation. Using a specific keyword, we used the English language to search for relevant articles in SCOPUS and PubMed databases over time frame. According to our review, Asian countries are increasingly using UCB preservation for future use as regenerative medicine, and existing studies indicate that this trend will continue. This recent literature review explains the methodology of UCB collection, banking, and cryopreservation for future clinical use. Between 2010 and 2022, 10,054 UCB stem cell samples were effectively cryopreserved. Furthermore, we have discussed using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as transplant medicine, and its clinical applications. It is essential for healthcare personnel, particularly those working in labor rooms, to comprehend the protocols for collecting, transporting, and storing UCB. This review aims to provide a glimpse of the details about the UCB collection and banking processes, its benefits, and the use of UCB-derived stem cells in clinical practice, as well as the ethical concerns associated with UCB, all of which are important for healthcare professionals, particularly those working in maternity wards; namely, the obstetrician, neonatologist, and anyone involved in perinatal care. This article also highlights the practical and ethical concerns associated with private UCB banks, and the existence of public banks. UCB may continue to grow to assist healthcare teams worldwide in treating various metabolic, hematological, and immunodeficiency disorders.

Exploring Parental Knowledge, Attitudes, and Factors Influencing Decision-Making in Stem Cell Banking: Rising the Future of Medical Treatment

“…Regenerative medicine is increasingly using stem cells to treat a variety of systemic ailments and blood abnormalities. In order to facilitate allogeneic or autologous transplantation, collected blood is currently kept in public or commercial banks [ 26 ]. In October 1988, the first hematopoietic transplant using CB as the source of hematopoietic cells was carried out; CB banking has now advanced to the point where more than four million units are kept in commercial banks globally, and about 800000 units are kept in public banks [ 27 ].…”

Efficacy of Engraftment and Safety of Human Umbilical Di-Chimeric Cell (HUDC) Therapy after Systemic Intraosseous Administration in an Experimental Model

“…Furthermore, extensive research has validated the collection, banking, and cryopreservation of UCB for long-term storage, highlighting its potential for therapeutic applications [53][54][55][56][57]. Importantly, cryopreservation has been demonstrated not to significantly alter the clonogenic or tolerogenic properties of UCB cells [58][59][60], further enhancing its utility in clinical settings.…”