by Ravindran B.P.M.

The umbilical cord, once traditionally discarded as medical waste, is today considered a potentially viable source of medical therapy that is capable of saving countless lives. In fact, doctors are using stem cells extracted from the umbilical cord and placenta to treat young and more recently, adult patients suffering from a wide range of life-threatening diseases.

But what is cord blood? Cord blood is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following the birth of the baby. It is a very rich source of stem cells, which represent the building blocks of our body tissue, blood and immune systems. While stem cells are found in the bone marrow, where they continue to generate new blood cells throughout our lives, they are also present in the peripheral blood, cord blood and the embryo.

Stem cells have two intrinsic properties - cellular differentiation and replication abilities. The former is the process by which a stem cell becomes specialized in order to perform a specific function. There are more than 250 general types of cells in the human body. Differentiation is the process that takes place inside an embryo that determines which genes are expressed, and hence what type of cell will result. Replication refers to the stem cell’s ability to multiply and grow. This ability of replication is today being harnessed in many laboratories around the world in the form of ex-vivo cell expansion.

The ability of stem cells to undergo differentiation into any cell in the body is what makes them a focus of modern research. This means that stem cells can develop and differentiate into many cell types such as bone, heart, muscle, nerve or even skin, while continuously multiplying their numbers. Also known as haematopoeitic stem cells (HSCs), they can form various blood components such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Scientific evidence from around the world has shown that stem cell technology represents a breakthrough in regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine helps natural healing processes to work faster, or uses special materials like stem cells to re-grow diseased or damaged tissue. Doctors use regenerative medicine to speed up healing, and to help heal injuries that cannot heal on their own. Regenerative therapies have been demonstrated (in trials or in the laboratory) to heal broken bones, bad burns, blindness and many other conditions. Ultimately, scientists will be able to harvest cells and tissues to treat medical conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes and spinal cord injuries.

Doctors are discovering that cord blood stem cell transplants are gaining medical mileage as they serve the same purpose as bone marrow transplants without the medical, emotional and financial complications inherent in the latter. Today, stem cells are being used in the treatment of leukaemia and many blood disorders. Stem cell transplantation is the most important part in the whole process of treating a leukaemia patient. This is because chemotherapy (part of the process) will destroy not only the cancerous cells but also the good cells, which are part of the immune system. Hence the patient, although free from any cancerous cells, may be susceptible to infection from bacteria and viruses because his immune system would have been destroyed. Stem cells are then infused into the immunocompromised patient where they help to regenerate the patient’s immune system.

It is very common to use stem cells found in the bone marrow to treat a patient for leukaemia. However bone marrow stem cell transplantation is expensive and can cost the patient in excess of RM300,000.

More often than not, the patient may not even have the chance to go through transplantation because finding a suitable donor is very difficult. The chance of finding a perfectly matched bone marrow stem cell donor is 1 in 20,000. The fact that most Malaysians are ignorant and fearful of being a donor (there are no side effects) amplifies this problem of finding a suitable match.

Unlike bone marrow stem cells, stem cells found in the umbilical cord blood are far more superior and are a preferred source of stem cells to treat blood disorders. Furthermore, unlike bone marrow stem cells which require a perfect match, cord blood stem cells are easier to use, especially among siblings, as a perfect match is not always required. Hence it is possible for a leukaemia patient to accept his sibling’s cord blood stem cells but unable to accept the sibling’s bone marrow stem cells. Studies have shown that cord blood stem cells can regenerate faster compared to bone marrow stem cells. Furthermore it is much more affordable than sourcing for a bone marrow donor, as the initial cost of storing cord blood stem cells is only RM2500, with a minimal charge every year for the annual storage fee.

In 1988, the world’s first cord blood transplant was performed on a child in Paris afflicted with Fanconi’s anaemia using the sibling’s cord blood stem cells. Since then, there has been more than 4,000 cord blood transplantations done worldwide. Today, cord blood stem cells have been used in the treatment of more that 75 life-threatening diseases including genetic diseases like beta thalassemia major, sickle cell disease and red cell aplasia; immune system disorders and certain cancers such as leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, breast cancer, multiple myeloma and renal cell carcinoma.

In response to the Malaysian Government’s call for the development of biotechnology as an engine of growth for the Malaysian economy, and recognizing the potential as well as the need for saving these precious stem cells, a team of scientists, medical experts and entrepreneurs established Malaysia’s premier private stem cell bank, thus offering the Malaysian public a chance to save their babies’ priceless stem cells, for a nominal cost.

Currently, stem cells are stored using either the traditional method of storage bags or the latest method of storage in specially designed cryovials. Storage of stem cells in cryovials is extremely advantageous as this method of storage offers the potential for multiple usage and cell expansion in the future. The stem cells are then stored for an indefinite period of time in a highly efficient vapour phase liquid nitrogen cryogenic tank at a temperature of minus 190oC, thus minimizing any potential risk of crossinfection.

As stem cell banking awareness grows rapidly, many Malaysians today are aware of the obvious advantages in storing their babies’ precious cells for the future. In Malaysia today, the cost involved is very minimal, as the average annual fee for storage in a private stem cell bank is only RM250. Private stem cell banking provides these families with the comfort, confidence and peace of mind, knowing that the priceless stem cells are stored in a safe and secure environment for the future use of these families.

CryoCord Sdn Bhd was incorporated in early 2002, and is recognized by the Malaysian Ministry of Health, having been awarded the prestigious MSC Status in recognition of its outstanding contributions to the medical biotechnology initiative. Currently, CryoCord offers private stem cell banking, and differs from many stem cell banks around the world as it stores the precious cells in five cryovials. Collection of these stem cells requires a specially designed Cord Blood Collection Bag that the company routinely utilizes, thereby offering the company’s patients unparalleled quality in the products it uses. In addition, CryoCord is the only stem cell bank in the region to have a Class 100 Cleanroom where the cells are processed and stored, hence minimizing the risk of any possible contamination. This is in strict compliance with British standards on cord blood banking. The company is currently working with hospitals throughout Malaysia to provide their patients with the option to store the cord blood stem cells. It is these smart partnerships, together with the commitment to provide an unparalleled, multidisciplinary team of well-qualified professionals with extensive work experience and credentials in their respective fields providing unrivalled customer support, that has enabled CryoCord Sdn Bhd to emerge as the fastest-growing stem cell bank in the region.

INFORMATION
If you wish to know more on cord blood banking and the use of stem cells in saving lives, visit www.cryocord.com.my.