United Kingdom has launched a new cord blood bank at King’s College Hospital, which for the first time consists of a combine storage of potential cord blood transplants and a research institute. It is also the first Trust collection center which receives donated cord blood from the mothers who give birth to a child.

This new bank named, Anthony Nolan Trust Cord Blood Bank is launched with an aim to research on stored blood cells for developing new techniques for its better use.

Cord blood are the cells that are taken from the umbilical cord of newborns. After birth of a child, these cords are usually thrown away, so, unlike bone marrow donation, there is no discomfort or risk to the donor. Rather these cells have so such power that it can help the patients to survive deadly diseases like leukemia, blood cancers, sickle cell disease, immune problems etc.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/