Even big potentials have small beginnings

The natural function of stem cells is to find damaged and dysfunctional cells in the body and start the healing and renewal process. In short, they are healing the body

All cells originate from a single stem cell

Stem cells are immature cells that have not yet specialized. They are unique because they can reproduce themselves by division, while generating more specialized mature cells. By reproducing themselves they retain their immature stage and the level of stem cells in the body. This is a vital feature because a specialized cell can not go back in maturity on their own.

There is more than 10 000 billion cells in an adult body. All of them have been formed from a single stem cell. During conception, the gametes merge into a stem cell that begins to divide immediately and become more. As the cells divide, they also become more specialized, they differentiate. Differentiation gives cells certain properties, e.g. if the cell is to become a red or white blood cell or whether it will become a bone or muscle cell.

Matching stem cells

There are many similarities between people, even though we are different. It is the same with the stem cells that build the tissues of our body. White blood cells or leukocytes are cells in the blood that form part of the body’s immune system, which will protect the body against infectious diseases. In our white blood cells there are proteins that allow the body to recognize their own cells and also notice if a cell is unfamiliar.

Stem Cells from cord blood are easier to match

When transplanting stem cells, it is important that recipients and donors have the matching tissue type. If the recipient receives cells that match, the risk of a rejection reaction associated with the treatment decreases.

Relationship between donor and recipient has proved important. Generally, a relative is preferred as a donor. The need of exact match between donor and recipient depends on which disease to be treated, the treatment method and the source of stem cell used. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood are a immature stem cell source compared to bone marrow and makes it easier on tissue type matching.

It is easy to find out which tissue type a person has with a blood sample.

Discover why stem cells are so valuable


The natural function of stem cells is to find injured cells in the body and start the healing and regeneration process. In short, they heal the body.


Stem cells are evaluated for many different disease areas. Cord blood are used to treat 80 serious diseases, such as leukemia and a number of rare hereditary blood diseases.