Uses for Placenta Archives - Банка за матични клетки

A recent story published by The New York Times has highlighted the life-changing potential placenta holds for the treatment of severe burns and wounds.

The story follows Marcella Townsend, who was left unrecognisable by second and third degree burns she suffered after a propane explosion at her mother’s house in Georgia.

With few treatment options available, Marcella underwent a radical, cutting-edge procedure: a human placenta graft.

Incredibly, Marcella’s face now looks nearly identical to how it did before the explosion. [1]

What is a human placenta graft?

A placenta graft involves the application of amniotic membrane – the thin, translucent inner part of the placenta surrounding the foetus in the womb – to an area affected by burns, wounds, or injuries.

Unlike skin grafts using animals or cadavers, placental tissue doesn’t trigger the immune system, meaning it isn’t rejected by the body – a byproduct of the immunological privilege it has between mother and child during pregnancy.

It also stimulates rapid cell regrowth, which can help the body heal with minimal scarring. [2]

What makes the placenta so special?

The placenta provides crucial nutrients and protection to babies during pregnancy, and is filled with proteins and growth factors that make it extremely useful for healing injuries. [3]

Since the early 20th century, the amniotic membrane from placentas has been used in topical treatments for burns, wounds, and ulcers. It’s even been used to treat eye conditions. [4]

And yet, despite their potential, most placentas are discarded as medical waste.

Today in the U.S. only publicly stored donated placentas from elective C-sections are used. [1]

There are also limitations on how they can be used. For instance, amniotic membrane grafts are only sanctioned so long as there is minimal manipulation, meaning that their application is contained to internal and external bandages, along with cases of chronic wounds that take longer than usual to heal, or don’t heal at all.

In the latter context, a placenta graft again proved to be life-changing.

As cited by The New York Times, an 83 year old woman had an infected, chronic wound on her leg that wouldn’t heal after surgery. Having exhausted treatment options – including the use of larvae to eat the infected areas – doctors turned to placenta-derived skin grafts to close the wound.

The woman’s leg healed completely.

While the medical potential of the placenta seems boundless – they have been found to heal burns, wounds, and even restore vision in some cases – their lack of availability, along with the cost of associated procedures, means they remain vastly underused in the medical field. [1]

Why aren’t placentas more widely used?

While it’s clear that placentas have huge potential in a wide range of medical contexts, current therapeutic applications don’t come cheap. It is estimated that the cost of a placental graft ranges between $200 and $3,000 per square centimetre of amniotic membrane in the U.S. [1]

In the UK, amniotic membrane grafts are similarly pricey, with a document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) showing a 2cm x 3cm graft costing around £1,000 for a single use. [5]

With the street worth of placentas estimated to be around $50,000 – a figure that’s expected to double or even triple over the course of the next decade [6] – it’s no wonder some mothers are looking to privately store their own placentas.

What is private placenta storage?

Private placenta storage is the process by which mothers can choose to store their placenta so that it’s available for their child to use in future therapies, should they need it.

There are hundreds of clinical trials ongoing that are exploring the uses of placenta in treatments for conditions ranging from stroke to diabetes, Crohn’s and osteoarthritis. By saving the placenta, the powerful cells and growth hormones it contains are preserved for future use. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Private placenta storage can be considered to be part of what’s known as cord blood banking – the process by which the perinatal cells and tissues that naturally occur in the umbilical cord and placenta are cryogenically frozen.

Some of these perinatal cells are otherwise known as stem cells, and have many therapeutic benefits. Some are even being used today in over 80 approved treatments.

Saving the umbilical cord and placenta for your baby gives them the best chance to access future therapies using stem cells and other perinatal cells and tissues.

This is because cells from the umbilical cord and placenta are baby’s own perfect match, meaning the risk of rejection in a procedure like a transplant is minimal.

For people like Marcella Townsend, the life-changing potential of the placenta is clear. By storing for your baby, you could ensure that they too have access to future therapies utilising the power of the placenta.

References

[1] Morgan, K. (2024, October 8). Her Face Was Unrecognizable After an Explosion. A Placenta Restored It. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/well/placenta-donations-burns-wounds.html

[2] Glat, Paul MD et al. Placental Membrane Provides Improved Healing Efficacy and Lower Cost Versus a Tissue-Engineered Human Skin in the Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcerations. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open 7(8):p e2371, August 2019. | DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000002371

[3] Protzman NM, Mao Y, Long D, Sivalenka R, Gosiewska A, Hariri RJ, Brigido SA. Placental-Derived Biomaterials and Their Application to Wound Healing: A Review. Bioengineering. 2023; 10(7):829. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10070829

[4] Schmiedova I, Dembickaja A, Kiselakova L, Nowakova B, Slama P. Using of Amniotic Membrane Derivatives for the Treatment of Chronic Wounds. Membranes (Basel). 2021 Nov 29;11(12):941. doi: 10.3390/membranes11120941. PMID: 34940442; PMCID: PMC8706466.

[5] (2018, January 30). EpiFix for chronic wounds. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. https://www.nice.org.uk/advice/mib139

[6] Schweizer, R. (2019, March). What is your Placenta Worth? Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Banking Foundation. https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/what-is-your-placenta-worth

[7] Mansoureh Barzegar et al. Human Placenta Mesenchymal Stem Cell Protection in Ischemic Stroke is Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 and Masr Receptor-Dependent, Stem Cells, Volume 39, Issue 10, October 2021, Pages 1335–1348, https://doi.org/10.1002/stem.3426

[8] Kadam, S., Muthyala, S., Nair, P., & Bhonde, R. (2010). Human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells and islet-like cell clusters generated from these cells as a novel source for stem cell therapy in diabetes. The review of diabetic studies : RDS, 7(2), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1900/RDS.2010.7.168

[9] Mayer L, et al. Safety and tolerability of human placenta-derived cells (PDA001) in treatment-resistant crohn’s disease: a phase 1 study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013 Mar-Apr;19(4):754-60. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0b013e31827f27df. PMID: 23429460; PMCID: PMC4272923.

[10] Gwam C, Ohanele C, Hamby J, Chughtai N, Mufti Z, Ma X. Human placental extract: a potential therapeutic in treating osteoarthritis. Ann Transl Med. 2023 Jun 30;11(9):322. doi: 10.21037/atm.2019.10.20. Epub 2019 Oct 16. PMID: 37404996; PMCID: PMC10316113.

Last month researchers at The Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation compiled a report about how perinatal stem cells were being employed in clinical trials from 2019 through to the end of 2023. [1]

Perinatal stem cells are those which are collected in and around the perinatal period: the period immediately before and after birth.

These include stem cells from cord blood, cord tissue, the placenta and amnion.

In this blog, we’ll summarise some of their key findings and discuss what they mean in deciding to store stem cells for your baby.

Increase in the number of perinatal stem cell trials, despite COVID-19

In their report, researchers led by Dr Frances Verter point out how clinical trials using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in particular reached a peak in 2020 and 2021, the result of accelerated research to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

They estimate that during the pandemic (2020-2022), nearly 41% of all advanced cellular therapy trials for COVID-19 relied on perinatal stem cells.

While the number of trials declined by almost half in the years that followed – to be expected, considering the impact of the pandemic on trial numbers – the researchers found that during the two years since their last report in 2021, the cumulative number of trials for advanced cellular therapies using perinatal stem cells increased by 17%.

This shows that the number of clinical trials using perinatal stem cells has not only returned to pre pandemic levels, but has actually increased, demonstrating a sustained interest in the clinical and therapeutic application of perinatal stem cells.

(graph courtesy of The Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/2024-update-how-many-clinical-trials-employ-perinatal-sources-stem-cells)

Trials for stem cells derived from placenta and amnion

Dr Verter and her team also point out that there are increasingly prominent roles for perinatal stem cells derived from a variety of sources beyond cord blood and cord tissue, namely: placenta and amnion.

Of the 402 clinical trials focusing on the use of mesenchymal stem cells derived or expanded from perinatal tissues, 9% utilised either placenta, amniotic membrane, or a mixture of a number of different perinatal stem cell sources. For reference, only 4% of trials derived MSCs from cord blood.

These numbers suggest that the placenta and amnion are becoming increasingly pivotal to the development of advanced cellular therapies using perinatal sources of stem cells, with the majority of these MSC trials focusing on COVID-19, neurological conditions, orthopaedic conditions and auto-immune disorders.

Cord tissue trials outpace cord blood trials

Since their last report on the cumulative number of trials through to the end of 2021, Dr Verter and her team found that in the years since, through to the end of 2023, there were 117 new trials utilising cord tissue and 40 new trials utilising cord blood. [2]

A key source of mesenchymal stem cells – which have the ability to differentiate into other specialised cell types such as muscle, nerve, and cartilage cells – cord tissue has once again shown itself to be at the forefront of trials utilising perinatal stem cells.

Of the 402 perinatal stem cell trials using MSCs, 87% of these utilised MSCs derived from cord tissue alone.

Considering that during the period from 2019-2023, over 75% of all perinatal stem cell trials were focused on the application of mesenchymal stem cells, cord tissue continues to be a vital source of the kind of stem cells that are driving current therapeutic interest in the application of stem cells from perinatal tissues.

Wide array of medical uses for perinatal mesenchymal stem cells

Another significant finding in this report is the sheer array of diagnosis categories that perinatal mesenchymal stem cells are being trialled for.

While around 45% of trials using perinatal mesenchymal stem cells focused on how they might be applied to treat COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, as well as neurological and orthopaedic conditions, another 46% of the total number of perinatal mesenchymal stem cell trials were divided across a wide range of medical diagnoses.

These medical diagnoses spanned trials for auto-immune disorders, the treatment of different forms of wounds, liver conditions, metabolic and genetic conditions (such as Krabbe disease and Hurler’s syndrome), cancers and blood cancers, and cardio-vascular conditions.

These figures suggest not only an increase in the number of perinatal mesenchymal stem cell trials, but also a broad spectrum of possible treatment applications, making them invaluable in the development of future advanced cellular therapies.

(graph courtesy of The Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/2024-update-how-many-clinical-trials-employ-perinatal-sources-stem-cells)

What does this mean for cord blood banking?

If you’re considering storing stem cells for your baby, the findings of this report are encouraging.

The sustained growth in clinical trials using perinatal stem cells, even beyond the pandemic, highlights the continued and expanding interest in their therapeutic potential.

Cord tissue, in particular, stands out as a critical source of mesenchymal stem cells, which are increasingly being used in a wide range of medical applications, from COVID-19 and neurological conditions to auto-immune disorders and orthopaedic treatments.

The growing use of placental and amniotic stem cells further emphasises the value of preserving these additional perinatal tissues, providing a great chance to maximise your baby’s ability to access future treatments.

With ongoing advancements in cellular therapies and the broad spectrum of diseases being targeted, banking stem cells from your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta could offer valuable opportunities for future medical treatments that go beyond what is available today.

Your baby’s stem cells may play a crucial role in the next generation of medical breakthroughs.

If you’re interested in storing stem cells for your baby, fill out the form below to request a free Welcome Pack. It contains information that will help to shed light on the collection process, our storage services, and the future potential offered by umbilical cord stem cells.

References

[1] Verter, F., Bersenev, A., & Couto, P. S. (2024, September 10). 2024 Update: How Many Clinical Trials Employ Perinatal Sources of Stem Cells? Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation. https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/2024-update-how-many-clinical-trials-employ-perinatal-sources-stem-cells

[2] Verter, F. (2022, September 15). 2022 Update: How many clinical trials use cord blood or cord tissue? Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation. https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/2022-update-how-many-clinical-trials-use-cord-blood-or-cord-tissue

One of the questions we get asked most by expectant parents is whether or not cord blood banking is ‘worth it’.

You may have heard about it online, or through a friend, but don’t necessarily know what it entails, or what the benefits are.

In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know—what cord blood banking is, why it matters, the benefits, costs, and whether it’s the right choice for your family.

What is cord blood banking?

Cord blood banking is the process of collecting and storing the precious blood from your baby’s umbilical cord, along with other vital perinatal tissues like the placenta, cord tissue, and amnion.

These tissues are rich sources of two powerful types of stem cell: haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which both have huge therapeutic potential.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)

HSCs are found in cord blood, and have the ability to differentiate (transform) into all types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. This ability makes HSCs well positioned for the treatment of blood disorders like sickle cell anaemia and leukaemia.

HSCs from cord blood are already being used primarily in donor treatments for more than 80 different conditions, including blood cancers like lymphoma, immune disorders like SCID, and blood disorders like aplastic anaemia.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)

MSCs are found in cord blood, cord tissue and placenta and have the ability to differentiate into many different types of cell, including cartilage, nerve, muscle, fat, and bone cells.

This plasticity makes them ideal for use in an emergent field of medical research called regenerative medicine. Excitingly, there are currently hundreds of clinical trials investigating the application of MSCs in therapies for diseases that are currently incurable, like stroke, heart failure, and Parkinson’s disease.

Why is having your baby’s own stem cells available important?

Stem cell therapy depends on the body’s immune system not rejecting the transplanted cells. When using publicly donated stem cells from a donor this means finding an HLA match (human leukocyte antigens, which are gene complexes that encode cell-surface proteins that help the immune system determine what does and doesn’t belong to the body) and using immuno-suppressive drugs to minimise the chances of rejection.

However, cord blood banking enables your baby to have their own perfectly matched stem cells ready and waiting in storage, meaning they can access therapies without the risk of rejection.

Is cord blood banking safe?

The cord blood collection process is completely safe, non-invasive, and takes place in a separate room after birth, handled by a licensed phlebotomist.

What are the benefits of cord blood banking?

Life Saving Treatments

Cord blood stem cells are a proven treatment option for over 80 life-threatening conditions. They have been used in more than 40,000 transplants worldwide, providing a vital alternative to bone marrow transplants for conditions like leukaemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anaemia.

Protection for the Whole Family

By preserving your baby’s stem cells, you’re not only protecting your child’s future health but also potentially safeguarding the entire family. These stem cells are a perfect match for your baby, with a 1 in 4 chance of being a perfect match, and a 50% chance of being a partial match, for a sibling. Additionally, there’s always a 50% chance they could be a partial match for a parent as well.

Future Potential in Medical Research

Researchers are exploring the use of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of diseases like stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. Although these therapies are still in clinical trials, the potential for future applications is vast. By banking your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta now, you could unlock access to cutting-edge treatments in the future.

Why bank cord blood with Cells4Life?

Industry Leading Innovation

Our CellsPlus service uses our industry leading processing technology TotiCyte to retain 3 times the number of stem cells compared to other cord blood processing methods.

More cells in storage means more opportunities for treatments, and could make the difference between treating a child and an adult. Our CellsPlus service also means that cord blood banking is 100% compatible with delayed cord clamping for the first time.

Comprehensive Services

We’re the only UK cord blood bank offering the most comprehensive range of stem cell banking services, including cord blood, tissue, amnion and placenta banking. Saving a diverse range of cells for your baby maximises the range of treatment opportunities they’ll be able to access.

Dual location storage

We can store samples in multiple portions across two locations with SecurePlus. This means that your baby can use their samples multiple times, only using what they need and saving the rest. Dual location storage also provides the peace of mind of knowing that should anything happen at one location, their stem cells are still protected at the other.

Proven Track Record

We are the first choice for UK parents, with more UK families storing with us and over 150,000 samples in storage across our two Sussex sites.

Is cord blood banking worth it?

It’s been predicted that 1 in 3 of us will require some sort of regenerative therapy within our lifetimes. [1] Your baby might be part of the first generation to live beyond 100. Imagine the range of stem cell therapies that could become available to them within their lifetime. Saving their stem cells gives them the best chance of accessing these new and emerging therapies.

Cord blood banking is probably also worth doing if you have a history of illness in your family. Your baby’s stem cells may even end up being the key to safeguarding them, or a close family member, against life-altering conditions that remain all too prevalent; conditions like arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Your baby’s stem cells could change their life one day.

References

[1] Regenerative Medicine. Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies. https://www.aabb.org/news-resources/resources/cellular-therapies/facts-about-cellular-therapies/regenerative-medicine#:~:text=Regenerative%20medicine%20also%20may%20enable,potentially%20benefit%20from%20regenerative%20medicine.

The formation of the placenta represents a pivotal moment in pregnancy. Often thought of as the life support system for the growing foetus, the placenta represents the beginning of the nurturing bond between mother and child.

An intricate organ, the placenta undergoes a process of development that is at once fast and yet also remarkable, and is essential to the growth and health of your new baby.

In this blog, we’ll answer some of the most important questions about the placenta, like ‘what is the placenta?’, ‘when does the placenta form?’, and ‘what does the placenta do?’. We’ll also cover how the placenta could hold the key for unlocking the future of medicine.

What is the placenta?

The placenta is a temporary organ that is a bit like a pancake in shape and comes to measure around 20 cm in diameter and is on average 3 cm thick at the point of delivery. [1] It forms in the womb, also known as the uterus, during the first few weeks of pregnancy and attaches to the uterine wall where it is connected to your baby via the umbilical cord.

When does the placenta form?

The formation of the placenta usually begins at around week four of pregnancy.

Approximately a week after a sperm fertilises an egg about 120 cells called the blastocyst implant themselves into the wall of the womb. Around two thirds of these cells split away and implant themselves deeper into the uterine wall where, instead of preparing to develop into the arms, legs and other body parts of your baby, they will prepare to form into the placenta. [2]

From there the placenta will continue to develop over the next two months, taking over the role of the corpus luteum – a collection of cells that produce progesterone, a hormone necessary for sustaining the foetus during the early stages of pregnancy – at around weeks 10-12. [3]

The placenta will then be solely responsible for sustaining your baby into the second and third trimesters.

What does the placenta do?

The placenta has a myriad range of functions that help to sustain and protect your baby while it grows in the womb. [4]

These include:

Providing your baby with oxygen while also removing carbon dioxide.
Transferring vital nutrients such as water, amino acids, vitamins and glucose from mum to baby.
Carrying away waste substances from the baby, like urea, uric acid and bilirubin (a substance made during the breakdown of red blood cells).
Ensuring that the transfer of nutrients and waste occurs without mixing the blood of the baby with that of the mum’s.
Passing antibodies to the baby close to delivery which provide it with immunity both in the womb and during the first few months of its life, effectively kickstarting its immune response.
As well as being an organ, the placenta is also an endocrine gland, meaning it produces powerful hormones and signalling molecules such as lactogen, progesterone, oestrogen, oxytocin and relaxin which are vital for both mum and baby during pregnancy.

What can I do with my placenta after my baby is born?

Even after baby is born, the placenta still has a range of uses and applications.

Placentophagy

Among the most popular of these are forms of placentophagy, otherwise known as the consumption of the placenta. This can be done in a few ways, either through steaming or cooking, but it can also be dehydrated and encapsulated into pills that mothers can take in the first few weeks after birth.

So far, the benefits of placentophagy are only supported by anecdotal evidence, most of which points to potential improvements in energy levels, milk supply, and mood along with reductions in the likelihood of insomnia, bleeding and postpartum pain. However, it’s worth noting that there are safety concerns around the susceptibility of the placenta to infection.

If you’re planning on eating your placenta then it’s worth discussing the process with your GP or dedicated health professional, along with alerting your hospital that it’s something you want to include in your birth plan. [5]

Placenta banking

It’s been widely noted that the placenta and amnion are both rich sources of various kinds of stem cells. These are cells that have the ability to differentiate into a range of specialised cells throughout the body, and are currently undergoing research in numerous clinical trials for the application in treating a wide range of degenerative diseases. [6] [7]

Here at Cells4Life, we offer expectant parents the chance to store these powerful cells from both the amniotic membrane and chorionic villi of the placenta so that they’re in reserve should your baby ever need them in a future regenerative therapy.

If you’re interested in learning more about storing stem cells for your baby, fill out the form below to download our free welcome pack, which contains comprehensive information about our safe and simple services. It could be something that makes all the difference.

References

[1] Herrick EJ, Bordoni B. Embryology, Placenta. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551634/

[2] Levine, N. (2021, February 12). Five Things We Know About the Placenta—And a Few We Wish We Did. Cedars Sinai. https://www.cedars-sinai.org/discoveries/placenta.html

[3] Bellefonds, C. D. (2021, July 9). What Is the Placenta? What This Organ Does and How It Forms. What to Expect. https://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/placenta

[4] Burton GJ, Fowden AL. The placenta: a multifaceted, transient organ. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2015 Mar 5;370(1663):20140066. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0066. PMID: 25602070; PMCID: PMC4305167.

[5] Mota-Rojas, D., Orihuela, A., Strappini, A., Villanueva-García, D., Napolitano, F., Mora-Medina, P., Barrios-García, H. B., Herrera, Y., Lavalle, E., & Martínez-Burnes, J. (2020). Consumption of Maternal Placenta in Humans and Nonhuman Mammals: Beneficial and Adverse Effects. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 10(12), 2398. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122398

[6] Oliveira, M. S., & Barreto-Filho, J. B. (2015). Placental-derived stem cells: Culture, differentiation and challenges. World journal of stem cells, 7(4), 769–775. https://doi.org/10.4252/wjsc.v7.i4.769

[7] Srivastava, M., Ahlawat, N., & Srivastava, A. (2018). Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells: A New Era in Regenerative Medicine. Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology of India, 68(1), 15–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13224-017-1034-z

Placenta banking is the process of collecting the powerful cells from the placenta after birth and storing them for your baby should they need to use them in future.

Although the placenta is usually thrown away as medical waste after the birth, there are a huge array of benefits to banking your placenta.

A US hospital has become the first hospital in the nation to use a placenta-based cell-therapy to treat COVID-19 patients, which has resulted in the coronavirus-recovered patients heading home.

Holy name is the first in the US to use the latest placenta-based cell-therapy from Pluristem. The treatment uses cells from the placenta which is then injected into the arms and legs of the patient. A 49-year-old COVID-19 patient on a ventilator, was one of the first patients without organ failure to receive the placenta cell treatment.

According to new research, an injection of cells from the placenta can ease the pain and other symptoms of arthritis sufferers for up to one year.

The new treatment, ReNu, developed by British-US-based firm Organogensis, is made from cells of the innermost layer of the placenta, the amnion, which is donated at childbirth.

The placenta represents a special moment in time and remains the very essence of that intimate and eternal bond between mother and baby.

If you’re keen to pay tribute to this relationship or moment in time, you may be thinking about keeping your placenta, but what are your options? Read on to find out more.

Healthy-Eating-Blog-Graphic-1200-×-630px-1024-×-1024px-Blog-Graphic-1200-×-1200px-1080x675-1.jpg

Pregnancy is a time of joy and anticipation. However, it can also bring uncertainty, particularly regarding nutrition. As a mum-to-be, you want to ensure your baby’s health. You want to provide them with the essential nutrients they need for a healthy start in life.

The placenta could hold the key to treating premature babies suffering from chronic lung disease, thanks to a clinical trial taking place in Australia.

Doctors at Monash Children’s Hospital, Victoria are using placenta stem cells in their trial, as a way of combatting the effects of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Older Posts

Stem Cell Blog

A recent story published by The New York Times has highlighted the life-changing potential placenta holds for the treatment of severe burns and wounds.

The story follows Marcella Townsend, who was left unrecognisable by second and third degree burns she suffered after a propane explosion at her mother’s house in Georgia.

With few treatment options available, Marcella underwent a radical, cutting-edge procedure: a human placenta graft.

Incredibly, Marcella’s face now looks nearly identical to how it did before the explosion. [1]

What is a human placenta graft?

A placenta graft involves the application of amniotic membrane – the thin, translucent inner part of the placenta surrounding the foetus in the womb – to an area affected by burns, wounds, or injuries.

Unlike skin grafts using animals or cadavers, placental tissue doesn’t trigger the immune system, meaning it isn’t rejected by the body – a byproduct of the immunological privilege it has between mother and child during pregnancy.

It also stimulates rapid cell regrowth, which can help the body heal with minimal scarring. [2]

What makes the placenta so special?

The placenta provides crucial nutrients and protection to babies during pregnancy, and is filled with proteins and growth factors that make it extremely useful for healing injuries. [3]

Since the early 20th century, the amniotic membrane from placentas has been used in topical treatments for burns, wounds, and ulcers. It’s even been used to treat eye conditions. [4]

And yet, despite their potential, most placentas are discarded as medical waste.

Today in the U.S. only publicly stored donated placentas from elective C-sections are used. [1]

In the latter context, a placenta graft again proved to be life-changing.

As cited by The New York Times, an 83 year old woman had an infected, chronic wound on her leg that wouldn’t heal after surgery. Having exhausted treatment options – including the use of larvae to eat the infected areas – doctors turned to placenta-derived skin grafts to close the wound.

The woman’s leg healed completely.

While the medical potential of the placenta seems boundless – they have been found to heal burns, wounds, and even restore vision in some cases – their lack of availability, along with the cost of associated procedures, means they remain vastly underused in the medical field. [1]

Why aren’t placentas more widely used?

While it’s clear that placentas have huge potential in a wide range of medical contexts, current therapeutic applications don’t come cheap. It is estimated that the cost of a placental graft ranges between $200 and $3,000 per square centimetre of amniotic membrane in the U.S. [1]

In the UK, amniotic membrane grafts are similarly pricey, with a document from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) showing a 2cm x 3cm graft costing around £1,000 for a single use. [5]

With the street worth of placentas estimated to be around $50,000 – a figure that’s expected to double or even triple over the course of the next decade [6] – it’s no wonder some mothers are looking to privately store their own placentas.

What is private placenta storage?

Private placenta storage is the process by which mothers can choose to store their placenta so that it’s available for their child to use in future therapies, should they need it.

There are hundreds of clinical trials ongoing that are exploring the uses of placenta in treatments for conditions ranging from stroke to diabetes, Crohn’s and osteoarthritis. By saving the placenta, the powerful cells and growth hormones it contains are preserved for future use. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Private placenta storage can be considered to be part of what’s known as cord blood banking – the process by which the perinatal cells and tissues that naturally occur in the umbilical cord and placenta are cryogenically frozen.

Some of these perinatal cells are otherwise known as stem cells, and have many therapeutic benefits. Some are even being used today in over 80 approved treatments.

Saving the umbilical cord and placenta for your baby gives them the best chance to access future therapies using stem cells and other perinatal cells and tissues.

This is because cells from the umbilical cord and placenta are baby’s own perfect match, meaning the risk of rejection in a procedure like a transplant is minimal.

For people like Marcella Townsend, the life-changing potential of the placenta is clear. By storing for your baby, you could ensure that they too have access to future therapies utilising the power of the placenta.

References

Last month researchers at The Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation compiled a report about how perinatal stem cells were being employed in clinical trials from 2019 through to the end of 2023. [1]

Perinatal stem cells are those which are collected in and around the perinatal period: the period immediately before and after birth.

These include stem cells from cord blood, cord tissue, the placenta and amnion.

In this blog, we’ll summarise some of their key findings and discuss what they mean in deciding to store stem cells for your baby.

Increase in the number of perinatal stem cell trials, despite COVID-19

In their report, researchers led by Dr Frances Verter point out how clinical trials using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in particular reached a peak in 2020 and 2021, the result of accelerated research to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

They estimate that during the pandemic (2020-2022), nearly 41% of all advanced cellular therapy trials for COVID-19 relied on perinatal stem cells.

This shows that the number of clinical trials using perinatal stem cells has not only returned to pre pandemic levels, but has actually increased, demonstrating a sustained interest in the clinical and therapeutic application of perinatal stem cells.

(graph courtesy of The Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/2024-update-how-many-clinical-trials-employ-perinatal-sources-stem-cells)

Trials for stem cells derived from placenta and amnion

Dr Verter and her team also point out that there are increasingly prominent roles for perinatal stem cells derived from a variety of sources beyond cord blood and cord tissue, namely: placenta and amnion.

Of the 402 clinical trials focusing on the use of mesenchymal stem cells derived or expanded from perinatal tissues, 9% utilised either placenta, amniotic membrane, or a mixture of a number of different perinatal stem cell sources. For reference, only 4% of trials derived MSCs from cord blood.

Cord tissue trials outpace cord blood trials

Since their last report on the cumulative number of trials through to the end of 2021, Dr Verter and her team found that in the years since, through to the end of 2023, there were 117 new trials utilising cord tissue and 40 new trials utilising cord blood. [2]

A key source of mesenchymal stem cells – which have the ability to differentiate into other specialised cell types such as muscle, nerve, and cartilage cells – cord tissue has once again shown itself to be at the forefront of trials utilising perinatal stem cells.

Of the 402 perinatal stem cell trials using MSCs, 87% of these utilised MSCs derived from cord tissue alone.

Wide array of medical uses for perinatal mesenchymal stem cells

Another significant finding in this report is the sheer array of diagnosis categories that perinatal mesenchymal stem cells are being trialled for.

These medical diagnoses spanned trials for auto-immune disorders, the treatment of different forms of wounds, liver conditions, metabolic and genetic conditions (such as Krabbe disease and Hurler’s syndrome), cancers and blood cancers, and cardio-vascular conditions.

These figures suggest not only an increase in the number of perinatal mesenchymal stem cell trials, but also a broad spectrum of possible treatment applications, making them invaluable in the development of future advanced cellular therapies.

(graph courtesy of The Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/2024-update-how-many-clinical-trials-employ-perinatal-sources-stem-cells)

What does this mean for cord blood banking?

If you’re considering storing stem cells for your baby, the findings of this report are encouraging.

The sustained growth in clinical trials using perinatal stem cells, even beyond the pandemic, highlights the continued and expanding interest in their therapeutic potential.

Cord tissue, in particular, stands out as a critical source of mesenchymal stem cells, which are increasingly being used in a wide range of medical applications, from COVID-19 and neurological conditions to auto-immune disorders and orthopaedic treatments.

The growing use of placental and amniotic stem cells further emphasises the value of preserving these additional perinatal tissues, providing a great chance to maximise your baby’s ability to access future treatments.

With ongoing advancements in cellular therapies and the broad spectrum of diseases being targeted, banking stem cells from your baby’s umbilical cord and placenta could offer valuable opportunities for future medical treatments that go beyond what is available today.

Your baby’s stem cells may play a crucial role in the next generation of medical breakthroughs.

If you’re interested in storing stem cells for your baby, fill out the form below to request a free Welcome Pack. It contains information that will help to shed light on the collection process, our storage services, and the future potential offered by umbilical cord stem cells.

References

One of the questions we get asked most by expectant parents is whether or not cord blood banking is ‘worth it’.

You may have heard about it online, or through a friend, but don’t necessarily know what it entails, or what the benefits are.

In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know—what cord blood banking is, why it matters, the benefits, costs, and whether it’s the right choice for your family.

What is cord blood banking?

Cord blood banking is the process of collecting and storing the precious blood from your baby’s umbilical cord, along with other vital perinatal tissues like the placenta, cord tissue, and amnion.

These tissues are rich sources of two powerful types of stem cell: haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which both have huge therapeutic potential.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)

HSCs are found in cord blood, and have the ability to differentiate (transform) into all types of blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. This ability makes HSCs well positioned for the treatment of blood disorders like sickle cell anaemia and leukaemia.

HSCs from cord blood are already being used primarily in donor treatments for more than 80 different conditions, including blood cancers like lymphoma, immune disorders like SCID, and blood disorders like aplastic anaemia.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)

MSCs are found in cord blood, cord tissue and placenta and have the ability to differentiate into many different types of cell, including cartilage, nerve, muscle, fat, and bone cells.

Why is having your baby’s own stem cells available important?

However, cord blood banking enables your baby to have their own perfectly matched stem cells ready and waiting in storage, meaning they can access therapies without the risk of rejection.

Is cord blood banking safe?

The cord blood collection process is completely safe, non-invasive, and takes place in a separate room after birth, handled by a licensed phlebotomist.

What are the benefits of cord blood banking?

Life Saving Treatments

Cord blood stem cells are a proven treatment option for over 80 life-threatening conditions. They have been used in more than 40,000 transplants worldwide, providing a vital alternative to bone marrow transplants for conditions like leukaemia, lymphoma, and sickle cell anaemia.

Protection for the Whole Family