The main difference is in the type of stem cells obtained from each source.

Cord blood mainly contains haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) which can be used to regenerate healthy blood cells and immune systems. These cells have been successfully used to treat many life-threatening diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and certain types of cancers as well as blood disorders.

On the other hand, cord lining contains 2 other types of unique and powerful stem cells, namely MSC and EpSC. These stem cells have demonstrated immense capability in aiding the repair of injured tissues and organs as well as the treatment of various diseases. MSC are the building blocks of structural tissues of our body such as bone, cartilage and muscle. Cells derived from EpSC form the skin, hair, cornea, sweat glands as well as other secretor cells, sensing cells and cells that cover vital parts of our body such as liver. The unique ability of MSC and EpSC to differentiate into various cell types makes them a promising source for cellular therapies and regenerative medicine.

We would recommend you to store both cord blood and cord lining stem cells as you would be preserving all 3 unique biological resources. These resources help to maximize your family’s future health options and secure a holistic protection for your child and potentially other family members.

Cord lining contains two types of stem cells as opposed to only one type from Wharton’s jelly. It also yield more stem cells compared to Wharton’s jelly. About 20 million stem cells can be obtained from each square centimeter of cord lining, while only about 54,000 stem cells can be obtained from each cubic centimeter of Wharton’s jelly. In addition, given the exclusive right on the patented CellOptimaTM technology, we are the only stem cell bank in Malaysia that has the right to isolate and expand stem cells (i.e. MSC and EpSC) from cord lining. By doing so, we help you to maximize the protection within your family and also the medical potential of your Child’s umbilical cord..

MSCs are building blocks of structural tissues of our body such as bone, cartilage, muscle, fibrous tissues and fat. They are important because:

• They have shown immense potential to treat diseases and repair injured tissues / organs.
• Their ability to differentiate into adipose, cartilage, muscle, skin and nerve increases their potential for application on wound healing, bone and cartilage repair and other neurological and orthopaedic indications.
• When used with haematopoietic stem cells (HSC), it increases the success rate of cord blood transplants.
• Most of the preclinical works also suggest that MSCs are therapeutic via trophic rescue and immune modulation.
• On-going research on MSCs in several different pre-clinical animal models of human disease such as neurodegenerative disease, cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes type 1, Parkinson’s, lung disease, liver disease etc.

Epithelial stem cells (EpSCs) are considered as the key source for epidermal and skin regeneration. They are important because:

• They form the soft tissues that connect, support, or surround other structures and organs of the body including the skin, cornea, hepatic, pancreatic and neurons.
• Pre-clinical models have shown positive results in the treatment of tissue trauma caused by burns, radiation and even diabetic ulcers with the use of EpSC.
• The Singapore Eye Research Institute and Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine also released their literature on the use of epithelial cells for the treatment of various ocular surface disorders. Both institutions reported that their patients fully recovered without complications.

Potentially yes. Theoretically, progenitor stem cells processed and harvested from cord lining are believed to be immune-privileged. This means that they are not rejected by immune cells of the recipient. This happens because umbilical cord lining cells express HLA-G and HLA-E molecules, which turns off the inflammatory and immune cells that are responsible for rejecting foreign cells. Work is still on-going to gather more information to ascertain this theory.

Cord lining of each newborn is a powerful source of MSCs and EpSCs. We encourage parents to store for every single child in the family as probability for use increases tremendously over the lifetime of the child when technology advances and more applications are discovered. Due to its unique immunosuppressive properties, these source of stem cells may provide more treatment option to family members in future. It also gives the transplant doctor options whether autologous or allogeneic source of stem cells works best to treat certain conditions. Moreover, clinical trials are usually started off with autologous setting.