Unlocking the Potential of Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine
Wharton’s jelly, a gelatinous substance in the umbilical cord tissue, serves as the primary connective tissue of the umbilical cord. This tissue contains a powerful type of stem cell. Often referred to as a regenerative stem cell, called mesenchymal stem cells.
These cells are an excellent candidate for applications in “regenerative medicine” and tissue engineering. Mesenchymal stem cells have shown great promise in the potential treatment of diseases, according to studies published by the NIH.
The Umbilical Cord
People commonly considered the umbilical cord disposable, leading to the loss of this life-saving resource. Now, you can preserve these stem cells so that your child may potentially benefit from new developments in cell therapy and regenerative medicine throughout their life.
Preserving the blood and tissue of the umbilical cord will provide two different types of stem cells. Hematopoietic from the cord blood and mesenchymal from the tissue of the cord. This means more potential treatment options for your family.
Mesenchymal stem cells have unique capabilities in regenerative medicine.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
After extracting the cord blood, you cut up to 8 inches of the cord and place it in a sterile collection container with a transport solution. Then, the tissue and blood from the umbilical cord are analyzed and processed in laboratories.
Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Stem Cells
These laboratories must be state-of-the-art. Afterward, you must store them in special cryogenic tanks.
Differences Between Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Stem Cells
Umbilical cord blood is the blood that remains in the umbilical vein and the placenta at the time of birth. This blood is rich in hematopoietic or blood-derived stem cells. Can therefore treat certain types of diseases.
The cord tissue segment or Wharton’s jelly is the tissue surrounding the umbilical vein and cord vessels and is rich in mesenchymal stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into bone cells, fat cells, and cartilage for applications different from those of cord blood stem cells.
Thereafter, be sure to visit our article What are stem cells?
