Once upon a time, nobody thought about umbilical cords after they’d been cut and tied off into “belly buttons.” The only concern at that point was whether the baby had an “innie” or an “outtie.”
But now we realize that the umbilical cord is a precious resource that may one day save a baby’s life. Or yours. The tissue that lines the outer membrane of the umbilical cord is rich with undifferentiated stem cells that can be transformed differentiated into myriad of other cells. Differentiated cells from umbilical cord tissue may one day help to manage or even cure common diseases and disorders. such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and even cancer.
But I already plan on banking my baby’s cord blood!
Storing umbilical cord tissue is a simple additional step to cord blood banking, and simply increases your baby’s ‘bio-insurance’ package. So now, in addition to banking blood precursor cells, you will also save the epithelial and mesenchymal stem cells of the umbilical cord lining,
Practically this means that you have now saved:
- Haematopoietic stem cells which can be morphed into blood cells,
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells which can be morphed into a variety of structural cells e.g. cartilage, bone, muscle
- Epithelial Stem Cells which can be morphed into surface lining cells e.g. skin, cornea, islet cells of the pancreas, to name a few.
A further, and potentially much more important, step than banking just the cord blood. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells, which can be induced to become blood cells that may be able to treat blood-related disorders.
The umbilical cord lining, however, has two different kinds of stem cells —mesenchymal stem cells and epithelial progenitor cells — which means they can differentiate into just about any kind of non-blood cell a body could need:
Fat, cartilage, bone, nerve, heart, brain, and lung cells (from mesenchymal stem cells)
Skin, liver, pancreas, spleen, and other soft organ cells (from epithelial progenitor cells)
Will my baby be able to use these cord lining stem cells?
With luck, neither your baby nor anyone in your family will ever need to use the cord stem cells that you have banked! However, you’ve banked in stem cell storage. But, if you’ve banked them with GlobalCord, they’ll be there for you when you need them. if you do need them.
Because cord lining stem cells come from your baby’s own body, they will be readily accepted by the body’s immune system when transplanted. These neonatal stem cells highly robust, very proliferative, and also express anti-rejection factors. They may one day even be a source of stem cells for family members needing stem cell therapy.
That means that your parents, or even your grandparents, may benefit from treatments that are currently being developed with cord lining stem cells for conditions such as:
Arthritis
Bone and cartilage disorders including Arthritis
Parkinson’s disease
Diabetes
Hemophilia A
Heart disease
Hearing and balance disorders
Corneal disorders
Wound healing
Burn treatment
Broken bone treatment
And this is just a partial list of the research that is being done with mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells!
Can cord lining stem cells be used for non-medical treatments?
Since stem cells from cord lining can be morphed into skin cells, they can be used to help treat signs of aging. Our parent company, CellResearch Corporation. (CRC) has developed a cosmeceuticals line based on Cord Lining Stem Cell technology that effectively targets aging skin, helping improve skin health and to smoothening deep folds and wrinkles. This skincare line, called CALECIM® Professional has also been shown to improve skin laxity and pigmentation.
How long will the stem cells last?
If you bank your baby’s cord with GlobalCord, the stem cells will be analyzed, processed, and cryopreserved using a proprietary protocol developed by CRC. These strict protocols ensure that your baby’s cord lining stem cells will remain viable and ready for your baby’s and family’s future medical and anti-aging needs. We know that stem cells can be functionally viable for at least two decades after of cryogenic storage. Potentially, they could last for much longer.
Why should I pay for something I never use?
Cord tissue storage is bio-insurance, you can compare it to comparable to purchasing healthcare, car, and life insurance. You hope you never need them, but if you do, you’re glad to have them. They Cord tissue banking may one day save the life of someone you love.
What if I don’t bank my baby’s cord-lining stem cells?
If you opt not to bank your baby’s umbilical cord stem cells, the umbilical cord — and the billions of life-giving stem cells it contains — will be discarded as medical waste after it has been severed after baby’s birth.
The cord cannot be retrieved nor replicated after it has been discarded.
Make Sure That The Precious Cord Can Be Used
Make an informed choice. Select a cord banking service which is part of the GlobalCord network that is licensed to offer complete coverage for all stem cell therapies derived from your stored cord tissue.
Umbilical cord lining tissue banked by non-licensed cord blood banks may not provide the stem cell yield or quality that CellResearch Corporation’s proprietary and patented protocols can provide — this may affect its suitability for future therapeutic use. In addition, non-licensed these cord blood banks and medical institutions that offer use CellResearch Corporation's patented protocols — which include ALL cord lining stem cell therapies —protocols- including treatment protocols- are at risk of patent infringement.
GlobalCord is operated by CellResearch Corporation and its partners. Cords banked through GlobalCord are covered by CellResearch Corporation’s patent licensure, which extends to 431 territories around the world, including the U.S.A.