Murry says the list is based on claims by people in the late 1990s that these cells have the plasticity to become almost any type of cell in the body—claims that have been “very rigorously disproven.”
He said that umbilical cord blood contains adult stem cells, which limits the types of cells they can become—hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can become blood cells, and mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (MSCs) can build connective tissue such as bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bone marrow.
Cells4Life said, “Any cursory search of published literature on future applications of perinatal stem cells demonstrates the huge potential that cord blood holds for use in regenerative medicine in the future.”
It pointed to research suggesting that MSCs can be transformed into inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can mimic embryonic stem cells and are therefore capable of forming any tissue except germ cells (precursors of egg and sperm cells).
In this study, Taehyun Roh, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, joined colleagues from several research institutions in Mexico to compare arsenic levels of people living in arsenic-contaminated areas of Mexico and a comparison population with lower levels of exposure.
Inorganic arsenic species, which are most commonly found in drinking water and crops grown using contaminated water, are known to cause oxidative stress and inflammation in humans, which can lead to a vast number of diseases over time. The health risks of arsenic exposure led the World Health Organization to set a safe maximum level of 10 micrograms per liter. In Comarca Lagunera, a region in northern Mexico, average arsenic levels in drinking water are 82 micrograms per liter, far exceeding the recommended maximum.
Roh and colleagues collected samples of drinking water, maternal blood, urine and breast milk along with samples of placenta and umbilical cord blood right after birth. They also collected neonatal urine samples immediately and three to four days after delivery. The researchers compared concentrations of arsenic in these samples against samples collected from populations living in areas with safe arsenic levels.
The researchers found significantly higher levels of arsenic in maternal blood and urine, umbilical cord blood, and breast milk in mothers living in Comarca Lagunera compared to uncontaminated regions. They also found that arsenic levels in cord blood were associated with levels in drinking water, and maternal urine samples from mothers and infants. These findings point to the placental passage as a major in utero transmission route for arsenic.
Infant urine samples collected days after birth showed continued high levels of arsenic, indicating a continuing source of arsenic contamination after birth. However, breast milk samples showed notably lower levels of arsenic than formula prepared with contaminated water.
The frequency of sonogram appointments may also change. The Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine says it is safe to reduce “routine” ultrasounds at this time without jeopardizing the health and safety of the pregnancy. Of course, some patients with specific conditions like twins or babies with suspected birth defects may require more traditional follow up.
Researchers at UCL have developed a new way to make blood stem cells present in the umbilical cord ‘more transplantable’, a finding in mice which could improve the treatment of a wide range of blood diseases in children and adults.
Blood stem cells, also known as haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), generate every type of cell in the blood (red cells, white cells and platelets), and are responsible for maintaining blood production throughout life.
When treating certain cancers and inherited blood disorders, it is sometimes necessary to replace the bone marrow by allogeneic stem cell transplantation—which involves using stem cells from a healthy donor.
The umbilical cord is a useful source of blood stem cells, and cord blood transplants lead to fewer long-term immune complications than bone marrow transplants. Although umbilical cord transplants have been used in young children for the last 30 years, most cord blood units contain insufficient HSCs to be suitable for older children and adults and 30% of all units contain too few even for the youngest children, and go to waste.
A baby’s umbilical cord is typically clamped and cut immediately after birth. Over the years, emerging research has suggested there may be benefits to delaying umbilical cord clamping in term neonates. However it was not clear if this intervention would also have benefits on the survival of extremely low gestational age preterm neonates.
In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, neonatologist Dr. Abhay Lodha, MD, and his research team found for the first time that delaying umbilical cord clamping in extremely preterm babies improves their survival. It also lowers the odds of severe neurological injury in the form of an intraventricular hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain.
“Delaying cord clamping allows time for the baby’s blood pressure to stabilize,” says Lodha, associate professor in the departments of Paediatrics and Community Health Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine and a member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute. “As premature babies’ brain vessels are quite fragile, a rapid change in blood pressure can rupture their blood vessels, causing a brain hemorrhage.”
In this retrospective cohort study, researchers analyzed the outcomes of 4,680 neonates across Canada who were born at 22 to 28 weeks and were admitted to a neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The study suggests deferred umbilical cord clamping (DCC) leads to circulatory stability, which improves blood pressure and reduces the need for transfusions.
The researchers also found DCC reduced the risk of infection by allowing the newborn to receive more nutrient- and immune cell-rich blood from the mother.
“As long as the baby is stable at the time of birth, we recommend delaying umbilical cord clamping for 30 to 60 seconds,” says Lodha. “This is a simple intervention that could reduce the need for medication to treat hypotension, reduce the risk of infections, and improves the baby’s survival. We hope this new information will have a global impact, especially in developing countries, and save many premature neonates.”