Fresh Umbilical Cord Blood-A Source of Multipotent Stem Cells, Collection, Banking, Cryopreservation, and Ethical Concerns.

Umbilical cord (UCB) is a rich source of hematopoietic cells that can be used to replace bone marrow components. Many blood disorders and systemic illnesses are increasingly being treated with stem cells as regenerative medical therapy. Presently, collected blood has been stored in either public or private banks for allogenic or autologous transplantation.