Anja FAQ: Stem Cell Banking 101

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What are Stem Cells?

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Stem cells are our body’s raw materials from which all other tissues and organs are generated. They are our body's master cells.

Stem cells have the potential to repair, restore, replace, and regenerate cells, and have the potential to be used to treat many medical conditions and diseases. Stem cells are immature cells that have the ability to develop into many different cell types, from muscle cells to brain cells. They are the only type of cell in the body that has the natural ability to generate new cell types.

At your birth, we collect and store Multipotent stem cells from the cord blood, cord tissue, and the placenta. Multipotent stem cells can develop into any cell type within a family of tissues.

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To learn more in-depth, check out our blog post What Can Stem Cells Be Used For?

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Why should I consider banking the placenta?

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The placenta is rich with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) and Amniotic Epithelial Cells (AECs). These stem cells have valuable growth elements, which are potentially effective when it comes to anti-aging, limiting neural degeneration, and more.

Banking your cord blood, cord tissue, and your placenta gives you the greatest quantity and variety of stem cells for future treatment possibilities.

To learn more in depth, check out our post What is the placenta, and how does it work?

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What are the benefits of banking cord tissue?

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The tissue of a baby's umbilical cord is filled with Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). Umbilical cord tissue stem cells are the subject of clinical research looking at treatments for lung disease, Alzheimer's, Autism, heart disease, hair loss, and more. In the case of personal injury or physical ailments, these can potentially be extremely helpful.

To learn more in depth, check out our post Cord Blood vs. Cord Tissue: What’s the Difference?

Why is it important to bank cord blood?

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The umbilical cord is rich with powerful stem cells - Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) to be precise. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are FDA-approved to treat cancers, blood disorders, immune disorders, and metabolic disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, leukemia, and sickle cell anemia.

To learn more in-depth, check out our post Cord Blood Banking: Is It Worth It?

How far along is research in this area?

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The FDA approves cord blood stem cells as a treatment for 85+ diseases, and this number is constantly increasing as clinical trials make more notable discoveries surrounding stem cell use.

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To learn more in-depth, check out our post The Research and Science Behind Stem Cell and Cord Blood Banking with Anja and our Cord Blood Banking Library.

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Can I still opt for both placenta banking and encapsulation?

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Our lab requires the entire placenta be sent to extract as many stem cells as possible from it.

Families wishing to do placenta encapsulation over banking can definitely still bank their cord blood and tissue.