Stem Cell Banking in India

Stem cells are an undifferentiated and immature form of cells that later morph into different types of cells forming different types of tissues. They are either extracted from umbilical cord blood or from the bone marrow. They are also present in the bloodstream , but have less density and are known as peripheral stem cells. Their extraction from bone marrow needs painful medical surgery, whereas they can be easily extracted from the umbilical cord blood. After the extraction, they need to be harvested for which they are preserved using cryopreservatives under a certain condition, which varies from bank to bank. Stem cells can be used to treat many diseases including some deadly ones like blood cancer, diabetes etc. Today, about 100 major diseases can be treated using stem cell therapy. It is thereby a matter of curiosity to know some of the interesting facts about stem cell technology and stem cells research. ●        The stem cells found i...

Stem cell therapy is a way of using stem cells to treat diseases. Stem cells are used as they carry regenerative function and ability to differentiate into other cells and later multiply as the same type. Stem cells are found primarily in three places, namely umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, and bloodstream. Among these, their extraction is done only from bone marrow and umbilical cord blood. The former needs a painful medical surgery while the latter is done easily and has no harm either to the mother or to the child. After extraction the stem cells are stored in cryopreservation chambers for preservation and harvesting for its future use, the technique of preservation is not universal and varies from center to center. The preserved stem cells are used in the treatment of many diseases including some of the deadly ones like leukemia and other forms of blood cancers and metabolic disorders. They also have a regenerative function which helps in regeneration of worn out tissues o...