Gomes, AndreiaOliveira, MelissaFerraz, RicardoPina, Joana Filipa Figueiredo2024-01-292023-07-31http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/24786Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with a high proliferative capacity and the ability to differentiate into any cell type. A rich source of stem cells is the umbilical cord, which is easy, painless, safe and non-invasive for the mother and infant. After birth, instead of being discarded as biological waste, it can be used to obtain multipotent and haematopoietic stem cells. The umbilical cord stem cells are a unique collection, so they should be cryopreserved for their therapeutic potential, as they represent a valuable resource for treating more than 80 diseases. Stem cells can be stored for several years without significantly altering their properties. For that, there are two types of banks for the cryopreservation of these cells: public and private. This work consisted of enrolling in the laboratory routine of BebéVida, a Portuguese and FACTNetcord accredited bank that process, cryopreserves and stores umbilical cord blood and tissue. Therefore, it was aimed to learn and perform the related techniques to the processing and cryopreservation of umbilical cord blood, as well as processes inherent to quality assurance. Furthermore, this work also aimed to understand how ABO and Rh blood groups can influence several biological parameters, such as immune system cells, platelets, immature red blood cells and all nucleated cells, where stem cells are inserted. In conclusion, the integration into the laboratory routine was successful, with proper contact with processing techniques (AXP) and cord blood cryopreservation. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated that the AXP protocol influences the quality of the unit to be cryopreserved and that the volume collected at the time of collection should be considered. Regarding the blood group study, some blood groups showed significant differences, demonstrating that the presence and absence of A and B antigens on the cell surface may contribute to the difference between the number of immune system cells between different blood types. This highlights the potential impact of ABO blood type on several health conditions, and further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.engSteam cellsUmbilical cordCryopreservation banksQuality assurancemaster thesis203473051