Stem Cells

Stem Cells – What They Are?

Stem cells are primitive, non-specialized cells characterized by their limitless potential to proliferate and their unique ability to differentiate into specialized cells, which leads to the formation of tissues. These properties allow stem cells to renew or replace damaged cells. They can be harvested from various sources, including umbilical cord blood.

Historically, bone marrow was the primary source of stem cells, as bone marrow transplantation involves transplanting stem cells derived from the bone marrow. However, today, umbilical cord blood stem cells are more commonly used for therapeutic purposes. Other sources of stem cells include peripheral blood drawn from donors who have undergone pharmacological mobilization.

Throughout an organism’s life, new cells are systematically produced, and these cells gradually mature and differentiate into more specialized types. Eventually, these cells perish after a specific period of time, as inscribed in their genetic code. Specific stem cells are cells which directly replace the dead ones All stem cells, even those with only transient presence in the body, can be classified into four categories: totipotent, pluripotent, multipotent, and unipotent. Multipotent cells include hematopoietic stem cells and the human umbilical cord blood is a good source of such cells.

Type of Stem Cells

Type of stem cells	Characteristics	Examples
Totipotent cells	Each cell can develop into a new individual	Cells of embryo of 1-3 days
Pluripotent cells	Each cell can form any cell type (over 200)	Cells of blastocyst 5-14 days
Multipotent cells	Cell differentiate and can form a number of tissue types	Fetal tissue, cord blood, adult cells

Stem cells, due to their unique properties, can be used in treatment. However, it’s important to remember that not all stem cells are equal, and not every type can be used in therapy.

In the FamiCord Group we focus on multipotent stem cells from perinatal tissues such as cord blood stem cells, cord tissue stem cells and placenta stem cells.

Umbilical cord blood is one of the richest sources of stem cells found in nature. While cord blood stem cells are not embryonic, they are more pristine than the stem cells in adults because they are younger and have had less exposure to illness or environmental factors.

The most well-known uses of stem cells include the widely recognized “bone marrow transplants,” which are essentially transplants of hematopoietic stem cells. Umbilical cord stem cells are also hematopoietic stem cells and can be used to treat over 80 severe oncological and hematological diseases. However, what are the differences between them?

Differences between stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow

Umbilical cord blood

Bone marrow

Source material collection

simple, blood harvesting takes a few minutes at childbirth, non-invasive and safe

time-consuming, takes at least 25-30 minutes, invasive procedure under general anesthesia

Risk of cross contamination

minimal, as the blood is taken from the placenta and the umbilical vessels

higher risk, as donors could potentially be virus carriers

Availability for transplantation

cord blood is available after deposition in a transplant bank and awaits the recipient

the marrow has to be harvested from a donor who, even if registered, is required to be present in order to confirm compatibility and collect the marrow, the donor must be in excellent health to allow the bone marrow harvest

Growth potential

higher cell proliferation

lower cell proliferation

Donor and recipient compatibility

easy – 4 out of 6 HLA antigens must match

extremely difficult – 18 out of 10 HLA antigens must match

haploidentical transplants can be performed

Potential donors

can only be removed once in a lifetime (at birth)

any healthy adult can be a potential donordates may prove complicated

Potential recipients

the average cord blood unit is suitable for a recipient weighing around 40 kg

sufficient for recipients up to 70-80 kg

in 2024, the FDA approved Omidubicel, an innovative method for expanding stem cells that allows cord blood to overcome further limitations

Cord tissue & Placenta: promising source of stem cells

The tissues of the umbilical cord and placenta are abundant sources of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). The cells in the umbilical cord, known as Wharton’s jelly cells, differ slightly from umbilical cord blood cells. They are more easily differentiated into other types of cells, such as nerve cells, bone, and cartilage.

Currently, MSCs are the most widely used cell type in regenerative medicine and are frequently featured in research. These cells show significant potential in treating a wide range of autoimmune disorders and injuries to muscle, bone, and organs, including heart disease and sports-related injuries. MSCs derived from neonatal sources, like the umbilical cord tissue and placenta, have a faster growth rate compared to those obtained from adult donors and are free from disease exposure.

The umbilical cord can be easily harvested after delivery in a non-invasive, painless procedure for both the mother and baby. A 10–15 cm section of the umbilical cord is cut and placed into a special container by a doctor or midwife. In the laboratory, the tissue is examined, prepared, and frozen. Stem cells can also be isolated before freezing.

In addition to stem cell collection from umbilical cord blood and tissue, FamiCord offers placenta tissue banking in some markets. The placenta, like the umbilical cord, is a source of mesenchymal stem cells. Due to its unique location, the stem cells in the placenta have distinct properties, which make them useful in regenerative medicine. Tissue stem cells from the umbilical cord and placenta can be used by the child, their siblings, parents, and even grandparents.