Umbilical cord contains a heterogeneous mixture of stem/ progenitor
cells at different lineage commitment stages. Cells are isolated either from the cord
blood or the Wharton jelly. They consist of embryonic stem cell-like and other
pluripotential stem cells, which can give rise to hematopoietic, epithelial, endothelial,
and neural tissues. [12] Various banks have evolved to collect and preserve the
umbilical cord blood. But the utility of these centers is still questionable. The protocols
and guidelines for collection and retrieval of cells are still being standardized