Cells for Life launches cord tissue! *
But what is cord tissue, and why should you care? For years, we’ve been telling you about the importance of banking your baby’s umbilical cord blood. Used in the treatment of over 80 diseases including leukemia and lymphoma, it is a way to insure and safeguard your family’s future.
Now, in addition to banking your baby’s cord blood, you can collect and store umbilical cord tissue. Equipped with the potential to heal an entirely new set of illnesses and injuries, the uses of these cells remain in the early stages of development but look promising.
What is Cord Tissue?
While cord blood banking requires samples of blood taken from within the umbilical cord, cord tissue is what makes up the umbilical cord itself.
The tissue consists of blood vessels and Wharton’s Jelly, a gelatinous substance that insulates and protects the umbilical cord. More importantly, the tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These cells are different than those found in umbilical cord blood and have the potential to treat medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, and to be used in wound care and spinal cord injury.
MSCs can also be found in bone marrow, adipose tissue and cord blood, however evidence suggests that cells taken from umbilical cord tissue are able to grow more rapidly than those from other sources.
Once introduced to the body, there is evidence that MSCs go to the site of inflammation, inhibit inflammation, stimulate recovery of injured cells, and differentiate into various cell types (including bone, cartilage, and muscles) and can modify or regulate immune functions. What makes cord tissue such an attractive option in the treatment of many diseases and conditions is that it has the potential to help the body heal itself.
*available to expectant parents with due dates after December 15th, 2015.