When expecting a baby, parents often hear about the importance of newborn stem cell banking—but what about placenta banking? In recent years, placenta banking has gained attention for its potential to provide valuable stem cells, similar to those found in cord tissue. But how does placenta banking compare to umbilical cord tissue banking, and what are the benefits and limitations? Let’s explore the world of newborn stem cell banking to help you make an informed decision.
What Is Placenta Banking?
The placenta, a circular-shaped organ, serves as your baby’s lifeline during pregnancy, supplying oxygen, nutrients, and removing waste. After birth, it’s typically discarded but it does contain some stem cells. Placenta banking involves collecting stem cells from the lining of the placenta after birth. These stem cells, like those found in cord tissue, have the potential to be used in regenerative therapies. However, there are a limited number of live cells in the placenta natively available.
What Type of Stem Cells are in the Placenta?
The stem cells found in the placenta are similar to those found in umbilical cord tissue and include mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), epithelial stem cells, growth factors, and cytokines.
- These cells are intended for the personal use of the child they are collected from.
- They are versatile, capable of self-replication, and can differentiate into various cell types, including bone, cartilage, neural tissue, blood vessels, and muscle.
- Their ability to potentially repair damaged tissues, reduce inflammation, and promote healing has positioned MSCs at the forefront of regenerative medicine.
The Limitations of Placenta Banking
While placenta banking offers some promise, it does have notable challenges:
- Bacterial Contamination: The placenta is not sterile, and collecting stem cells from it requires careful handling. Without proper protocols, bacteria and other contaminants can interfere with the ability to culture and expand the stem cells effectively.
- Limited Number of Cells: There is a limited number of cells. Without growing the cells before freezing there could potentially not be enough cells for use. Many studies trying to quantify the number of cells per treatment require at least 1 million MSCs per kg of bodyweight per administration. Thus, a 100lb child may need ~45 million stem cells per administration based on the illustrative example above.
- Culture Expansion Challenges: To use placenta-derived stem cells in regenerative therapies, they must be culture-expanded in a lab until there are enough viable cells for treatment. Contamination during collection can complicate this process, leading to lower cell yields or rendering the cells unusable.
Benefits of Banking Cord Tissue Over Placenta
At birth, the umbilical cord tissue is rich in MSCs, these are the same type of cell found in the lining of the placenta.
- Higher MSC Concentration: Cord tissue contains a higher concentration of mesenchymal stem cells, making it a more valuable resource for regenerative therapies. The cord tissues have around 3 million MSCs in pieces of the cord, which provides enough cells for a bank to further grow out.
- Sterility: The collection of cord tissue is more sterile than placenta collection, and easier to package free of contamination. This reduces the risk of contaminated samples being discarded and simplifies the culture expansion (growth) of the cells.
- Proven Success: Cord tissue mesenchymal stem cells have a long track record of success in regenerative treatments, while placenta stem cells are still in early research stages.
- Better for Long-Term Use: The ease of collecting, expanding (growing), and storing cord tissue stem cells ensures that your child will have access to high-quality stem cells for future use.
The Cost of Placenta vs. Cord Blood Banking and Cord Tissue Banking
When comparing costs:
- Placenta Banking: Typically, more expensive due to the complexity of collection, higher risk of contamination, and lower yields of usable stem cells. Most placenta storage facilities do not grow out the cells.
- Cord Blood Banking: Less costly but provides fewer usable stem cells and limited regenerative properties compared to cord tissue. These cells are difficult to grow, and no cord blood banks are growing out cells.
- Cord Tissue Banking: Offers the best value with a higher concentration of mesenchymal stem cells, a cleaner collection process, and a proven history of effectiveness in regenerative therapies. Only VitalCells is culture expanding the cells upon sample retrieval, while other banks are storing just the umbilical cord without preparing the cells for use.
Conclusion: Why Cord Tissue is the Best Choice
While placenta banking offers potential benefits, its limitations—especially contamination risks and difficulty in expanding stem cells—make it less practical. In contrast, cord tissue banking:
- Provides a higher concentration of mesenchymal stem cells.
- Easier to collect and expand.
- Proven effective for a variety of regenerative medical uses.
When considering stem cell banking for your baby, prioritize long-term value. Cord tissue banking is a safer, more reliable option that ensures your child has access to versatile and effective stem cells for future regenerative therapies. Ensure you know how many live stem cells your child will have access to throughout their life.
At VitalCells, we specialize in cord tissue banking, providing families with the highest quality mesenchymal stem cells, culture-expanded to potentially billions of live cells that meet their needs today and for the future. Don’t settle for less—protect your child’s health and secure their regenerative options for tomorrow.
