Stem cell banking is a process of preserving your stem cells for future use. Storing new born umbilical cord blood stem cells is an investment towards the future health of the family. It ensures an exact match for the child and a more likely match for another blood-related family member, should the stem cells be needed for treatment.

Stem cells are the primary cells in human body and animals that have the ability to divide and differentiate into other types of cells. Research by Canadian scientists Ernest A.McCulloch and James E.Till in the 1960's started interest in Stem cells worldwide due to some discoveries that they made.

To put it simply, Stem cells are the body's raw materials – cells from which all other cells with specialized functions are generated. Under the right conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to form more cells called daughter cells. These daughter cells either become new stem cells (self – renewal) or become specialized cells (differentiation) with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle or bone.

No other cell in the body has the natural ability to generate new cell types. For example, you have baldness, so stem cells can be used to replace the dead cells and create the necessary growth of hair again. Unlike a regular cell, which can only replicate to create more of its own kind of cell, a stem cell is pluripotent (Capable of giving rise to several different cell types).

Adult pluripotent stem cells have the capability to repair. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found.

The first type of stem cells is the totipotent stem cells. These basic cells are produced when the egg and sperm cells of mother and father unite in the womb of the mother. The basic sign of life is the embryo.

These Cells grow into the embryo the first sign of a human being in the mother's body. These cells are useful in creating the full fledged human being. They are nothing but the next level of totipotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells help in the growth of lungs, muscle, blood, bone and nervous system.

Totipotent stem cells are perhaps the most versatile of the stem cell types. A totipotent zygote cell is created when a single celled sperm and egg unite.

This totipotent fertilized egg has the potential to give rise to virtually all human cells, such as nerve or heart. It is during the early cell divisions in embryonic development that more totipotent cells are produced. Within several days, these totipotent cells divide and create replicas, therefore producing more totipotent cells.

It is after approximately four days that the cells begin to specialize into pluripotent cells, which can go on to specialize further but can't ever produce an entire organism as totipotent cells can. Basically, the pluripotent stem cell can do everything the totipotent one can except for creating an entire organism.

How could stem cells help to treat Parkinson's disease? According to numerous researches, fetal stem cell therapy gives a marked positive effect in Parkinson's disease treatment. Researchers are already using stem cells to grow dopamine-producing nerve cells in the lab so that they can study the disease. Because a single, well-defined type of cell is affected, it may also be possible to treat Parkinson’s by replacing the lost nerve cells with healthy new ones.

Parkinson's Disease

The human Brain releases a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Scientists have been successful in stem cell transplantation of cells that produce dopamine in some 250 patients. This has been a successful experiment that gives good motivation for future treatments.

Cancer

Scientists at the famous Harvard University injected adult stem cells into the brains of dogs for treating cancerous tumors that they had developed. Normally, curing brain cancer is very tough, but using this experiment, they used stem cells to convert a substance already injected into their brains as a cancer killing agent. Within few days, the tumor was reduced by a great extent!

Spinal Cord Injury

You might have heard about people who suffered severe spinal cord injuries when they had accidents such as car accidents or falling from horses. Normally, it is quite expensive and difficult to treat such injuries. Christopher Reeves, who played Superman fell very badly during a horse racing competition, and severely damaged his spinal chord.

He volunteered for stem cell research and advocated it lifelong till he died (2004). The breakthrough for spinal chord treatment through stem cells was achieved by a Korean team in the year 2004. They had transplanted mutlipotent adult stem cells from umbilical cord blood to a patient suffering from a spinal cord injury. The lady can now walk without difficulty. You would be surprised to know that the patient had not walked for 19 long years.