2. 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?
4. 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.
5. 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
6. 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)
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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
13. The entire process is performed by health care provider
is 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.
14. 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.
15. 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
16. “When you bank your baby’s placental stem cells, you
save what may be a key component of potential future
medical treatments and cures.”
17. “ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE;
TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH.”
