Placenta Tissue Banking

PLACENTA TISSUE

BANKING MS.RAJALAKSHMI R NURSING TUTOR,

RNPC

The placenta is an organ that connects the baby to the uterus via the umbilical cord and delivers vital nutrients via the mother’s blood supply.

After nutrients from the mother enter the placenta and are delivered to the baby, waste products from the baby are carried back into the placenta where they are transferred to the mother’s body to dispose of.

The placenta also produces hormones that are essential to the healthy development of the baby and protect the baby from infections and sickness throughout pregnancy.

WHAT IS THE PLACENTA?

PLACENTA TISSUE BANKING

Placenta banking refers to the collection and storage of stem cells from the placenta, in addition to those found in cord blood, after the birth of a human baby.

Placental stem cells are those stem cells that are found only in the placenta and are collected after the blood from the umbilical cord is drawn.

They are NON-EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS, as are those obtained from umbilical cord blood.

The type of stem cells that exist placenta tissue are called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC-like cells. 

MSCs are a different type of stem cells than those that are collected from cord blood in the umbilical cord and the placenta.

MSCs can turn into a large number of skeletal tissue types such as bone, cartilage, fat tissue, and connective tissue.

Cord tissue contains MSCs that are related to the child, while you can collect MSCs that are genetically unique to the mother from the placenta tissue.

TYPE OF STEM CELL

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC’s) are adult non embryonic stem cells capable of renewing themselves as well as retaining their population throughout the individual’s lifetime. They can differentiate (create) into most types of cells of the human organism. They play a significant role in: maintaining normal function of the body (e.g.

making blood in the bone marrow) repairing the body following injury or disease 

MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (MSC’S)

MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (MSC’S)

 Potential applications in cell therapy:

1. Regenerative Medicine (Differentiate into mature cells that will travel to the injured tissue, giving them a therapeutic potential)

2. Regulate the body’s immune response (secrete chemical substances and molecules)

3. Gene therapy, i.e. use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to carry healthy DNA into diseased cells, thus aiming to cure serious diseases

4. cancer therapies (Clinical trials are investigating the potential use of Mesenchymals)

POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF MSC’S

Other Applications Examples

Immuno regulatory Functions Autoimmune disease e.g. Crohn's, MS, SLE (Lupus)

Participation in Haematopoiesis Enhancement of haematopoietic engraftment following transplant

Tissue Engineering Creation  of tissue grafts for transplantation e.g. heart valves, skin, blood vessels etc.

Gene Therapy Replacement of faulty genes in inherited conditions e.g. Thalassaemia

MSCs Differentiating Ability

Applications

Bone/Cartilage Bone Reconstruction after fracture/injuries

Muscle Cardiac Muscle Regeneration after Myocardial Infarction 

Nervous tissue Brain Damage & Neurodegenerative Diseases e.g. Parkinson’s

Pancreatic tissue Diabetes

Liver Tissue Liver Failure

Currently, research is being conducted into using mesenchymal stem cells for the following uses:

– Cartilage repair– Diabetes– Heart disease– Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)– Liver disease– Stroke– Serious Wounds– Spinal Cord Injury

USES OF MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS

Placental stem cells can differentiate not only into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, but also into many other types of tissue.

Placental stem cells have the benefits of embryonic stem cells, but without the controversy or medical drawbacks

STEM CELLS FROM THE PLACENTA ARE VALUABLE & NON-CONTROVERSIAL

THE COLLECTION PROCESS

The entire process is performed by health care provideris noninvasive, and only takes about 5 minutes.

Once baby is born and the umbilical cord has been cut, health care provider will collect blood from the cord.

the entire placenta will be collected separately and placed into a special bag.

The collection kit will then be transported to the laboratories for processing and preservation.

The stem cells will be “cryopreserved” in a vapor-phase liquid-nitrogen storage tank that is continuously monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until the time when their family need them.

A successful transplant requires that the patient and the donor have closely matching human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types.

 HLA types are inherited from your parents. Because public banks rely on donations of placenta cells

they cannot guarantee that a good HLA match. Many patients who need stem cell transplants don’t receive

them because they are unable to find a suitable match from a public bank.  

Private banking ensures immediate access to a 100% HLA match for their child. And their baby’s stem cells have a much greater likelihood of providing a good match for other close blood relatives.

STEM CELLS FROM A PUBLIC BANK -IT’S POSSIBLE.

Research has shown that placenta tissue is a rich source of a few different potentially valuable stem

cells, including MSCs. emerging fields of gene therapy and cellular repair. precursor cells for the tissues of the body, and, in a

laboratory setting they could one day be used in regenerative

therapies (involves replacing or repairing damaged tissues and organs, and restoring their critical functions) for various organs.

THE FUTURE OF PLACENTAL STEM CELLS

“When you bank your baby’s placental stem cells, you save what

may be a key component of potential future medical treatments

and cures.”

“ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE; TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH.”