Cord Blood Stem Cells Information

How are stem cells extracted from their source?

I am part of a science project called The Leading Edge Project, and my group's topic is stem cells. We have created a presentation, but we have one nagging question: How are stem cells actually removed from the adult body/other source? We know where they come from and what they are, but we'd really appreciate knowing HOW they are extracted.

Public Comments

1. Bone marrow... The donor is usually given general anesthesia but sometimes an epidural. They stick rather long needles into the hip bone (the Illiad Crest) and pull out the marrow Peripheral Blood Stem Cells.. These are harvested by aphersis. This is the same process as at the plasma center or some red cross donations. You are hooked to a aphersis machine with two needles. One needle is pulling out blood. The blood goes through a centrifuse to seperate out the stem cells which are a type of white blood cell. Then the rest of the blood is passed through a warmer and then infused back into you through the other needle. Cord Blood... The after birth (cord blood and placenta) are donated after a live healthy birth instead of being thrown in the biowaste. The cord blood is tested and typed and stored in either a private bank that the parents pay for or donated to a public bank for free and is put into the National Marrow Donors Regsitry There are many others, such as skin and things like that, but I am not familur with those processes. I am familur with these processes because I am a leukemia and stem cell transplant (the correct name for a bone marrow transplant) patient. You can read about these methods at http://www.marrow.org or by searching 'bone marrow donation' 'peripheral blood stem cell donation) and 'cord blood donation'