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Cord blood and cord tissue are two distinct sources of stem cells preserved at birth from the umbilical cord. Cord blood contains hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), used in transplant medicine since 1988 to treat over 80 established conditions including leukemias, sickle cell disease, and inherited metabolic disorders. Cord tissue contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), being studied in over 500 active clinical trials but with no FDA-approved therapies as of 2026.

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Cord Blood · Cord Tissue · Side by Side

Cord blood vs cord tissue.

Cord blood and cord tissue contain very different kinds of stem cells, and the evidence behind each is at a different stage. Below: a side-by-side look at cells, conditions, evidence, and cost.

Snapshot

Two products. One collection at birth. Different cells, different evidence behind each. Here's the short version before the full comparison.

Cord blood

Hematopoietic stem cells

Build blood and immune system. Used in transplant medicine for decades.

Established conditions 80+
Transplants worldwide 60,000+
First clinical use 1988
Cord tissue

Mesenchymal stem cells

Help repair tissue. Being studied across orthopedic, autoimmune, and neurological indications.

Active clinical trials 500+
Conditions in research 10+
First clinical use ~2010

Cord blood

Hematopoietic stem cells

Cord tissue

Mesenchymal stem cells
The basics
Cell type
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC)Build blood and immune cells
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)Help repair structural tissue
Where they live
Inside the umbilical vessels (the blood)
In the Wharton's jelly of the cord itself
Year of first human use
1988Fanconi anemia, France (Gluckman)
~2010First MSC trials in adults
HLA matching required?
Yes for transplantPartial matches often work
No, in current researchCould be used by any family member in trials
Evidence and stage
Status
EstablishedUsed in transplant medicine since 1988
InvestigationalActive research; no approved therapies as of 2026
Conditions
80+ Leukemias, lymphomas, hemoglobinopathies, immune deficiencies, metabolic disorders
500+ Orthopedic, neurological, autoimmune, respiratory indications in clinical trials
Total transplants worldwide
60,000+ StemCyte alone has contributed 2,300+
Not applicable · cord tissue MSCs are not used in transplant medicine. Trial-only.
The biology
What they become
Red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets
Bone, cartilage, fat, muscle cells (being studied)
Storage volume preserved
100mL (MaxCell®) or 25mL (StandardCell®)
A 3-6 inch segment of cord
Cost (StemCyte pricing)
First year cost (annual plan)
$925then $200/year storage
$1,395then $400/year storage (for both)
18-year prepaid
$3,560
$6,665for cord blood + cord tissue bundled
Lifetime prepaidNo storage fees ever, for either plan
$5,625 Cord blood only
$10,795 Cord blood + cord tissue bundled

Common questions

StemCyte offers cord tissue as an add-on to cord blood banking, not a standalone product. Cord blood is the cells with proven medical use today, and the collection logistics are designed around cord blood as the primary product. If you'd like to discuss your specific situation, our banking team can walk you through the options.

Most of the fixed costs of banking, the collection kit, courier logistics, lab intake, and storage administration, are paid once for the cord blood and don't double when cord tissue is added. The incremental cost covers additional processing, a separate storage cryobag, and the per-year cryostorage fees. Roughly $5,170 over the life of a lifetime plan.

Both are stem cells, meaning they can become other cells. Hematopoietic stem cells (cord blood) specialize in becoming blood cells: red cells, white cells, platelets. Mesenchymal stem cells (cord tissue) specialize in becoming structural cells: bone, cartilage, fat, muscle. A blood-system disease wants HSCs. A cartilage or muscle injury, if therapies were established, would want MSCs.

If you can only choose one, choose cord blood. It's the cells with established treatments. Cord tissue is added when you want coverage for what's being studied in addition to what's proven. Most StemCyte families choose cord blood alone for exactly this reason.

Cord blood can only be collected at birth.

Build a private cord blood plan, or add cord tissue alongside it, in minutes.

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