Daily Current Affairs : 23-June-2023
In recent years, cord blood banking has gained significant popularity among new parents. Cord blood, which refers to the blood remaining in the umbilical cord and placenta after delivery, has been recognized for its potential medical applications. This essay delves into the various aspects of cord blood banking, including its collection process, storage, and significance. Additionally, it explores the current state of cord blood banking in India and highlights some of the challenges associated with this practice.
About Cord Blood
Cord blood is the blood that resides in the umbilical cord and placenta. The umbilical cord connects the baby to the placenta, which nourishes the baby and provides essential oxygen during pregnancy.
Understanding Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking involves collecting the cord blood after childbirth and extracting its stem cells and immune system cells for future medical use. This process is often referred to as stem cell banking in many parts of the world, including Europe. The collected blood is cryogenically frozen for long-term storage.
Collection Process and Storage
The collection of cord blood is a non-invasive and painless procedure that poses no risk to the mother or the baby. Immediately after delivery, the blood is collected and sent to specialized laboratories for processing and testing. Once the necessary procedures are completed, the cord blood is stored in a controlled environment to maintain its viability.
Significance of Umbilical Cord Blood
Umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells that have the potential to develop into various types of cells. These stem cells can be used in hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) to treat certain blood, immune, and metabolic disorders. HSCT involves matching specific markers between the cord blood and the patient to ensure successful transplantation. Conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow diseases, sickle cell anemia, and certain immune system disorders can potentially benefit from stem cell transplants using cord blood.
Ongoing Research
In addition to the established applications, researchers are studying cord blood to explore its potential in treating other life-threatening conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. These studies aim to uncover new avenues for medical advancements and enhance the efficacy of treatments.
Cord Blood Banking in India
License and Regulation
In India, cord blood banks operate under the supervision and licensing of the Central Drug Standards Controlling Organization (CDSCO). This regulation ensures that the cord blood banks adhere to the necessary quality standards and protocols.
Repositories of Stored Cord Blood
There are two types of cord blood banks in India. The first type is private banks that store cord blood exclusively for individual families. The second type is community or social banks that store cord blood from multiple donors and make it accessible to those who register for these services with stem cell banking companies. The stored stem cells initially belong to the client and are transferred to the social banking repository after a specific period, typically two years.
Increasing Accessibility
Initially, cord blood banking was more prevalent among the urban elite who could afford the associated costs. However, with extensive advertising by cord blood banks, the awareness and demand for cord blood banking have expanded to the upper-middle and middle-class families in smaller cities and towns.
Issues and Challenges
Credibility of Cord Blood Banking
Although cord blood banking has gained popularity among parents, it is not a routine recommendation by doctors’ associations for pregnant women. The use of cord blood in transplants is decreasing, and its potential applications in regenerative medicine are mostly experimental.
Genetic Abnormalities
Consensus has emerged that stored cord blood should not be used to treat an individual’s own genetic condition in the future. This precaution arises from the possibility that the stem cells in the stored blood may carry the same genetic abnormalities that caused the primary disease.
Under-Utilization
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the likelihood of the stored cord blood being used for HSCT is relatively low, ranging from 0.005% to 0.04% in the first 20 years of life. The under-utilization of cord blood stored in private banks is a concern highlighted by the ICMR’s Guidelines for Umbilical Cord Banking in 2023.
Misleading Advertisements
One major area of concern is the misleading and luring advertisements employed by private cord blood banks. These advertisements often feature celebrities as brand ambassadors, creating a perception that cord blood storage is a status symbol. However, it is important for parents to make informed decisions based on accurate information rather than falling for marketing tactics.
The Rise of Haploidentical Transplants
A newer method called haploidentical transplants has gained popularity in recent years. This approach involves using healthy cells from a half-matched donor, such as a family member, to replace the unhealthy cells in a patient. Haploidentical transplants are faster and have a higher success rate compared to traditional cord blood transplants.
Important Points:
- Cord blood banking involves collecting and storing the blood from the umbilical cord and placenta after childbirth.
- Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that can be used in hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) to treat certain blood, immune, and metabolic disorders.
- Cord blood banking is more commonly referred to as stem cell banking in Europe and other parts of the world.
- The collection process of cord blood is non-invasive, painless, and poses no risk to the mother or the baby.
- Cord blood banks in India operate under the regulation and licensing of the Central Drug Standards Controlling Organization (CDSCO).
- Cord blood can be stored in private banks exclusively for individual families or in community/social banks accessible to registered users.
- Initially, cord blood banking was more prevalent among the urban elite, but it has expanded to the middle-class families in smaller cities and towns.
- The stored cord blood should not be used to treat an individual’s own genetic condition in the future due to the potential presence of the same genetic abnormalities.
- The likelihood of stored cord blood being used for HSCT is relatively low, around 0.005% to 0.04% in the first 20 years of life.
- Misleading advertisements by private cord blood banks, often featuring celebrities, have raised concerns and require careful evaluation.
- Haploidentical transplants, using half-matched donor cells, have emerged as a newer method with higher success rates and faster procedures compared to traditional cord blood transplants.
Why In News
Over the past decade, the popularity of cord blood banking has soared among new parents, driven by growing awareness of its potential medical benefits. This upward trend is further reinforced by the advancements in stem cell research, which have opened up promising avenues for using cord blood in regenerative medicine.
MCQs about Cord Blood Banking
-
What is the primary purpose of cord blood banking?
A. To store blood for future use in the same individual
B. To supply oxygen to the baby during pregnancy
C. To collect stem cells for potential medical applications
D. To prevent genetic abnormalities in newborns
-
Which organization regulates cord blood banks in India?
A. Central Drug Standards Controlling Organization (CDSCO)
B. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
C. World Health Organization (WHO)
D. National Health Authority (NHA)
-
What is a potential risk associated with using stored cord blood for treating one’s own genetic condition?
A. Genetic abnormalities in the stored stem cells
B. Decreased success rate of transplants
C. Increased likelihood of immune system disorders
D. Higher cost of treatment
-
What is the trend observed regarding the utilization of cord blood for transplants?
A. Increasing utilization in recent years
B. Stable utilization over time
C. Under-utilization in private cord blood banks
D. Shift towards haploidentical transplants
Boost up your confidence by appearing our Weekly Current Affairs Multiple Choice Questions
