What Is Cord Tissue Banking?

Cord Tissue Stem Cells

  • What is cord tissue?

    Cord tissue is your baby’s umbilical cord, which contains mesenchymal stem cells. These stem cells can form connective tissues such as bone, cartilage, and tendon, and have unique properties that make them promising for cellular therapies. Studies are evaluating cord tissue stem cells as possible treatments for many injuries and diseases.

  • How are cord tissue stem cells being researched for use in medical treatments?

    Stem cells from cord tissue have demonstrated the power to heal spinal cord, brain, and cartilage injuries in laboratory studies. This research is now beginning to move into clinical trials. It is at an early stage and medical treatments may never be developed.

  • How does CBR store cord tissue?

    A newborn’s umbilical cord tissue contains several different types of cells, each with different potential uses.

    Because cord tissue research is still in its early stages, CBR stores your baby’s cord tissue whole, preserving all of the cells within it for your family’s potential future use. The cord tissue is cryogenically stored for long-term preservation so it can be processed to extract the cells needed using the best technology of the future.

    CBR Saves the Entire Cord Tissue for the Widest Range of Treatment Options

    A newborn’s umbilical cord tissue is comprised of several different cell types and each cell type has different potential.

    CBR saves all cord tissue cell types from all six cord tissue regions.

    Some potential medical treatments include:

    Damaged tissue, ligaments and organs Wounds burns and ulcers Vascular damage
    Damaged tissue, ligaments and organs Wounds, burns and ulcers Vascular damage

    Cord Blood

    Contains unique and powerful stem cells that may help repair and heal the body in different ways than cord blood. These cells create structural and connective tissue and are currently being evaluated in 30+ clinical trials to treat heart disease, stroke and spinal cord damage, among others.

    Saving cord tissue with CBR provides more options

    Three key cell types from six cord tissue regions:

    Cord Tissue contains unique and powerful stem cells that may help repair and heal the body in different ways than cord blood.
    • Mesenchymal stem cells
    • Endothelial cells
    • Epithelial cells
    • Wharton’s jelly
    • Intervascular region
    • Perivascular region
    • Subamniotic region
    • Blood vessels
    • Amniotic epithelium

    All cell types from a variety of tissues are being researched to potentially treat 11+ therapeutic areas:

    Skeletal disease and injury
    Skeletal disease and injury
    Wounds, burns and ulcers
    Wounds, burns and ulcers
    auto immune
    Autoimmune and inflammatory disease
    Ocular surface disease
    Ocular surface disease
    heart disease
    Heart and vascular disease
    Vascular damage
    Vascular damage
    gastrointestinal
    Gastrointestinal disease
    		  
    cancer
    Cancer
    		  
    diabetes
    Diabetes
    		  
    Transplant complications
    Transplant complications
    		  
    Neurological disease and injury
    Neurological disease and injury
    		  
    1. Trounson A, Thakar R, Lomax G, Gibbons D. Clinical Trials for Stem Cell Therapies. BMC Medicine. 2011.
    * CBR is currently evaluating the potential to isolate and prepare multiple cell types from cryopreserved cord tissue for potential future use.
  • What is the difference between cord tissue and cord blood stem cells?

    Cord tissue is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells, which create connective tissue. Cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells, which create the blood and immune system. Because of the different functions of these stem cells, cord blood and cord tissue may help repair the body in different ways. Cord tissue research is still in its early stages, and safe and effective therapies may never be developed.