Glossary

An easy guide to some of the scientific terminology.

Allogeneic transplant

When stem cells are donated from one person and transplanted into another person to be used as a treatment for certain illnesses and conditions.

Autologous transplant

When stem cells are taken from a person and then transplanted into the same person to be used as a treatment for certain illnesses and conditions.

Cell expansion technology

This allows doctors to increase the number of stem cells in a unit in a controllable way. Many future treatments rely on cell expansion technology as these treatments need a larger supply of stem cells than can be obtained from a single cord blood unit. Cell expansion technology research is progressing well and the first patented processes are expected to be in place by 2010.

Collection

This takes place after birth and is the process of collecting umbilical cord blood stem cells using a tube with a needle on one end and a bag
on the other.

Cord blood

This is the blood contained within the umbilical cord and placenta.

Cryogenic

The process of freezing cord blood stem cells, at very low temperatures using special techniques, so that it is safely stored for long periods of time.

Dual banking

This is Virgin Health Bank’s new type of stem cell banking where cord blood stem cells are stored in two ways – a private bank holding the baby’s stem cells just for them and their family, and a public bank, which could help anyone needing donated stem cells. We believe that our dual private and public bank offers more potential benefits to more people. It increases the availability of cord blood stem cell units for treatments today and ensures that people still have access to their own stem cells for regenerative medicine in the future.

Haematopoeitic

This relates to the creation of blood in the body. A haematopoietic stem cell is one that can divide and produce blood cells.

Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)

Tests performed on the cord blood stem cell unit that identifies tissue types. Tissue types are similar to blood types. For a person to receive a transplant of cells or tissue from someone else, they must have the closest possible tissue type 'match'. Our tissue type is determined by our DNA. There are millions of possible tissue types, so a large bank of stem cells increases the chance of finding a matched unit when one is needed.

Leukaemia

Is a cancer of the blood forming system, the blood forming system is found in the bone marrow. In leukaemia, some blood cells do not grow properly, but remain within the bone marrow and continue to reproduce in an uncontrolled way. These cells fill up the bone marrow and prevent it from making healthy white blood cells. This means the body is less able to fight off infections. There are many different kinds of leukaemia.

Match / Matched

Refers to a tissue typing match, the scientific term for this is HLA-type match. Tissue types must be matched as closely as possible between the person donating stem cells and the person receiving them to reduce the risk of rejection.

Maternal blood

Blood taken from the mother, which is completely separate to the blood taken from the umbilical cord.

Peripheral blood

This is the blood that circulates around the arteries and veins of the body.

Private bank

Generally a private cord blood bank will collect and store your baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells exclusively for the future use of your family. The private part of the Virgin Health Bank does the same thing. However, in addition, we store part of your baby’s cord blood in our publicly accessible cord blood bank where many other peoples cord blood stem cells could provide a matched allogeneic transplant. This is why we call Virgin Health Bank a ‘dual’ bank.

Processing

The way in which the stem cells found in umbilical cord blood are extracted from the blood, counted, tested and frozen ready for long-term storage.

Public bank

People can donate their baby’s cord blood stem cells to a public bank, much like donating blood, so that they can be used by anyone that needs them. When people choose to do this, there’s no guarantee that any of their baby’s stem cells will be left should they need them in the future. Virgin Health Bank is different because we also store some of your baby’s stem cells in a private bank so that they are available for your baby and your family. This is why we call Virgin Health Bank a ‘dual’ bank.

Regenerative medicine

This is about treatments in development that, in the future, may be able to treat diseases and injuries by using stem cells to repair or regenerate damaged cells and tissues in the body.

Stem cell

A special kind of cell that can divide many times to make exact copies of itself, or to make specialised cells that do a particular task in the body for example a blood cell, bone cell or liver cell. Some people call stem cells ‘master’ cells or ‘blank’ cells because they can change into so many different types of cell.

Testing

At Virgin Health Bank we test the mother’s blood for six viruses. We also test the baby’s blood to see how many stem cells there are, how healthy they are and what tissue type they have.

Tissue type / typing

Tissue types are similar to blood types. For a person to receive a transplant of cells or tissue from someone else, they must have the closest possible tissue type 'match'. Our tissue type is determined by our DNA. There are millions of possible tissue types, so a large bank of stem cells increases the chance of finding a close match when one is needed.

Transplantation

Taking cells, tissues, or organs and placing them into the same person or a different person to treat disease.

Unit

Stems cells collected from the umbilical cord are properly described as a ‘cord blood stem cell unit