CBR recently processed and stored the newborn stem cells from the cord blood of its 300,000th client.  This is a milestone that’s important not just because of its sheer size, but, more importantly, because of what it means for CBR’s leadership role in advancing regenerative medicine.

A population of 300,000 people is equivalent to a mid-sized U.S. city like New Orleans, Pittsburgh or Tampa.   What happens to the children in cities of this size can also happen to the children whose parents made the decision to entrust the preservation of their child’s newborn stem cells with CBR.

Based on U.S. government data on the incidence of disease, this means that of the children who have newborn stem cells safely stored at CBR, by the age of six:

• 1,832 may suffer a traumatic brain injury;
• 925 may suffer from cerebral palsy;
• 718 may have suffered acquired hearing loss; and
• 189 may suffer a stroke – either before birth or after.

These are all neurological conditions that have no cure today.  However, a growing body of research suggests that the newborn stem cells from a child’s own cord blood may play a role in changing the course of these conditions by helping the body to regenerate damaged tissue and restore lost function.

To help advance this research, CBR’s Center for Regenerative Medicine is playing the critical role of matching the researchers who are focused on evaluating the use of cord blood in the treatment of these conditions . . . with the children who have these conditions . . . AND who have access to their own newborn stem cells.

As CBR assists more researchers in initiating human clinical trials, individuals who have access to their own newborn stem cells may be among the first to benefit from these emerging new therapies. 

However, in order for researchers to be able to know what’s possible with newborn stem cells, they must be saved.  We salute the parents and families of the 300,000+ children whose cells are stored with us for their foresight and confidence in the potential of regenerative medicine.  We, too, look to the future with great optimism and are committed to leading the advancement of regenerative stem cell medicine.