How do cord blood stem cells compare to other sources of stem cells?
Cord blood stem cells offer many advantages over other sources of stem cells, especially bone marrow stem cells, like: Cord blood is a rich and non-controversial source of stem cells unlike embryonic stem cells. The collection procedure is quick and very safe and poses no risk or discomfort to mother or baby. Risk of viral infection using cord blood stem cells is very low. Cord blood stem cells transplants cause less Graft vs. Host Disease (GVHD), a transplant rejection that is the leading cause of death in stem cell transplant patients . Cord blood stem cells can be successfully used even when there isn’t a perfect match between donor and recipient. Bone marrow transplants not only require a perfect match, but finding a donor is difficult and time consuming . Cord blood stem cells occur in much higher concentrations than bone marrow and have greater capacity to proliferate.
