What are baby stem cells?

Stem cells from your baby's umbilical cord are mixture of stem cell types and include haemopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and Very Small Embryonic Stem Cells (VSELs).  

These umbilical cord stem cells have several unique properties  and differ from their adult counterparts in several ways.  The three major differences are:

• they are more plastic - baby stem cells can make a larger number of different cell types.  For instance it is known that MSCs can form neural cells, cartilage, tendons and skin if these are provided with the correct growth cues.  In theory, this means with the right prompts the stem cells should be able to form whatever tissue is required. 

• baby stem cells require fewer HLA (see below) markers to be matched when using them in a transplant.  So there is a much greater chance of a successful transplant as the risk of rejection is lower.
• the cells harvested from the umbilical cord are less likely to have been exposed to factors that could have induced cellular damage.

Technical note

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) is like a cellular finger print.  HLAs are used to match donor and recipient cells.  

Differences in HLA matching between a donor and recipient is the main cause of rejection in transplant patients - a condition know as Graft vs Host Disease (GvHD).  Stem cells from the baby's umbilical cord are able to be used with many more mismatches than bone marrow derived cells without resulting in GvHD enabling them to be used for a wider group of recipients.