The Stem Cell Source : cord blood banking

A Gift for Life

PublicAffairs — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:04:00 GMT

Many expecting parents are not aware of the medical value of stem cells from a newborn’s umbilical cord or the options for preserving them. That’s why July has been designated as Cord Blood Awareness Month by the National Health Information Center and a society of the American Hospital Association. If you don’t know the facts, check out the Cord Blood Education Center developed by CBR.

Many parents are also unaware that if you divide out the total cost of cord blood processing and annual storage at CBR for the first 18 years of a child’s life, banking a newborn’s cord blood costs less than a typical cell phone plan—about $18 per month.

But having a baby involves many costs – and they all hit the family budget at about the same time. That’s why this year during Cord Blood Awareness Month, we want to make expectant couples aware of a unique program that allows friends and families to contribute the entire cost of cord blood banking: The CBR Gift Registry.

Through The CBR Gift Registry, expectant parents can receive contributions toward both the initial collection and processing fees as well as the annual storage costs. Inviting friends and family members to contribute is easy: After you’ve enrolled in The CBR Gift Registry, you can send customized email announcements or print contribution cards to include in baby shower invitations.

Starting this month, parents can sign up for The CBR Gift Registry even before enrolling in CBR’s service. It’s a gift for life that your newborn won’t outgrow.

Getting Smart about Cord Blood Banking

PublicAffairs — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:47:00 GMT

July has been designated Cord Blood Awareness Month by the National Health Information Center and a society of the American Hospital Association, with the goal of educating others about the medical value of cord blood stem cells. To recognize the occasion, throughout the month we’ll be highlighting useful information and resources for parents who want to learn more about cord blood banking.

While awareness of the medical value of cord blood stem cells is on the rise, the need for more education remains. According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, three out of four expectant mothers who have heard of cord blood banking consider themselves minimally informed.

The need for greater education was the driving force behind the creation of the Cord Blood Education Center, an online program that informs expectant parents about their options for cord blood. Developed by CBR with input from healthcare providers, stem cell researchers and experts in public banking, the program describes all of the options available to expectant parents and is designed to give them access to information early enough in pregnancy so that they can make an informed choice about the storage, donation or disposal of their newborn’s cord blood stem cells.

Even if you are aware about cord blood stem cells, you may not know all of the facts. We invite you to take a moment to explore the Cord Blood Education Center and be sure to pass it on to others who can benefit from cord blood education.

Most OB-GYNs Support Unique Online Cord Blood Education Program To Help Parents Make an Informed Decision

PublicAffairs — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:09:00 GMT

Most people would agree that when faced with an important healthcare choice, patients should receive accurate and up-to-date information in order to make an informed decision. Yet given the rapidly evolving field of medicine in a fast-paced, demanding environment, obstetricians and their staff face the challenge of educating expectant parents about a variety of topics, one of which involves the medical use of a newborn’s stem cells from umbilical cord blood and tissue and the banking options available to expectant parents.

Data presented today at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical Meeting demonstrate that 98 percent of obstetric providers and staff who reviewed a unique online education program, would advise their patients to complete the program to become better informed about cord blood stem cells. In addition, more than 90 percent of healthcare providers surveyed reported being satisfied with the program’s ability to provide patients with sufficient information to make an informed decision about cord blood preservation options.

To date, nearly 9,000 healthcare providers and more than 40,000 obstetric patients have completed the program. More than 95 percent of patients surveyed were satisfied, reporting an increased knowledge about cord blood banking after completing the program.

The online education program, developed by Cord Blood Registry with input from public banking experts and stem cell researchers, follows the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines recommending that expectant parents receive balanced information early enough in pregnancy to make an informed choice about the storage or disposal of their newborn’s cord blood stem cells. Today 20 states representing 68 percent of U.S. births have passed cord blood education legislation in support of the IOM recommendations.

Dr. Thomas S. Purdon, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arizona and a past president of ACOG, sums up the importance of cord blood education:

“Educating expectant parents about cord blood banking is not just good health policy,” says Purdon. “It’s good medical practice.”

Click here to view the press release about the study

Click here to view the data presented at ACOG

3 States in 3 Weeks: Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee Legislate Cord Blood Education

PublicAffairs — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:37:00 GMT

In a recent post, we reported that Virginia passed the Cord Blood Education Bill. Just three short weeks later, two additional states – Ohio and Tennessee – have passed very similar legislation.

The growing number of states to enact cord blood education legislation stems from the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) 2004 report to Congress. That report highlighted the need to help all expectant parents make an informed choice prior to labor and delivery about the storage or disposal of their newborn’s cord blood stem cells.

The hope is that these new laws will do just that, specifically by:

• Encouraging prenatal care providers to educate expectant parents about their cord blood banking options early enough in pregnancy so that they can make an informed decision about whether to privately bank their child’s newborn stem cells or donate them to a public bank.

• Requiring the state’s Department of Health to publish information on its website about cord blood stem cells and parents’ options for preserving them.

Now a total of 20 states – representing 68% of the U.S. population – have legislation in place endorsing education on cord blood stem cells and the private and public cord blood banking options available to parents.

Not a Cloud in Sight: Stem Cells and Cornea Repair

PublicAffairs — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:29:00 GMT

Major news outlets recently reported research demonstrating that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a specific type of stem cell with unique properties, restored transparency to the cloudy corneas of laboratory mice. The data, presented by researchers during the American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting in December 2009, suggests that transplantation of umbilical MSCs could be a potential treatment regimen for corneal disease – whether present at birth or acquired. This study provides further evidence supporting the potential of umbilical MSCs for a variety of diseases.

Based on a U.S. News and World Report article about the study, those with corneal diseases may stand to benefit most if/when such a therapy were to become clinically available. They wouldn’t need to wait for a donated cornea, which, as the article states, are in short supply, so the prospect of an alternative therapy would be helpful.

More than 80 clinical trials are already underway using MSCs, and doctors are enthusiastic about the results reported for therapies addressing several conditions, including stroke, heart attack, bone injuries and autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. In addition, because MSCs serve as the foundation of connective tissue, applications in treating common joint and sports injuries may be another potential application with widespread use. MSCs are found in bone marrow, fat tissue, and the umbilical cord.

Read more about other studies recently reported in The Stem Cell Source showing the reparative abilities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs):

Can Newborn Stem Cells from the Umbilical Cord Help Tiny Lungs Breathe?

More Heartening News for Cardiac Patients: Specific Type of Stem Cell Helps Repair Heart Damage

What’s on your mind?

PublicAffairs — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:35:00 GMT

As the Stem Cell Source blog closes in on its sixth month, we want to take the opportunity to see if we are writing about the issues that matter to you.

So what questions do you have? Do you want to know more about public policy, advances in cord blood stem cell science, or the status of clinical trials? Do you want to hear from doctors, clients, or CBR staff?

Please email us and let us know what topics interest you. We will use your input as the basis for future blog posts. We can’t respond to individual inquiries, but we’ll do our best to address on our blog the answers to our readers’ most common questions.

Every Client Experience Must Be Golden

PublicAffairs — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:21:00 GMT

Since CBR's inception, our founders have insisted that one overarching rule guide everything we do: Treat others the way you'd like to be treated. It's simple, but it's Golden. In fact, we believe this is the only way to treat people. Every CBR employee strives to make sure we live up to this golden promise.

How are we doing? We ask every new client to give us a report card on their experience with us. We literally get hundreds of report cards a week. On average, more than 99 percent of our clients report that they're satisfied. That's a great number... but from our perspective, it means we have a bit more work to do. At CBR, every client experience must be golden.

Cord Blood Researchers Take It to Heart: Data Highlights Use of Cord Blood Stem Cells to Build Heart Valves

PublicAffairs — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:28:00 GMT

Imagine a damaged human heart restored to its natural function, thanks to the contribution of umbilical cord blood stem cells. It may sound like science fiction, but research suggests that this scenario may not be too far in our future.

At the American Heart Association’s most recent Scientific Sessions, an annual gathering to explore the latest breakthroughs in heart health, researchers presented findings demonstrating that cord blood could potentially be used to build new heart valves for babies. During the Sessions, researchers presented data from a small study using stem cells obtained from infants’ umbilical cord blood at birth that were seeded onto biodegradable heart valve scaffolds and grown in the laboratory. According to the study, the stem cells formed a tissue layer around the scaffolding and created viable heart tissue.

So what does this mean? According to Ralf Sodian, M.D., and lead author of the study, “in our concept, if prenatal testing shows a heart defect, you could collect blood from the umbilical cord at birth, harvest the stem cells, and fabricate a heart valve that is ready when the baby needs it.” The benefit of tissue-engineered valves is that they could grow as the child matures, unlike current replacements from animal tissue or human donations which need to be replaced once outgrown.

In related, more recent research published in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon (2009), endothelial cells (which line the interior surface of blood vessels) from the umbilical cord may prove to be more biocompatible with blood than other biomedical material when used as a film on mechanical heart valve prostheses. While scientists are only beginning to explore the possibilities, both studies indicate there is reason to take heart about the direction of cord blood-related research and its potential to address heart-related issues.

You can find more information about the AHA study below:

Umbilical cord blood may help build new heart valves

July = Summer, Sun and Cord Blood Awareness

PublicAffairs — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:03:00 GMT

In addition to the time for family barbecues, summer vacations and Independence Day celebrations, July is also recognized as Cord Blood Awareness Month by a society of the American Hospital Association.

Despite emerging research exploring the use of cord blood stem cells to treat conditions such as brain injury, diabetes, hearing loss and heart defects, cord blood awareness is low. In fact, many pregnant women today don’t learn about the option to save their newborn’s cord blood. According to research published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 3 out of every 4 pregnant women consider themselves only “minimally informed.”

What’s important to know is that cord blood education is considered good health policy. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine recommended that all pregnant women should be educated about cord blood stem cells early enough in pregnancy that they can make an informed decision about the options to preserve these valuable cells. In the last few years, 16 states have passed laws supporting better cord blood education in line with the Institute’s guidance.

In honor of Cord Blood Awareness Month, you can help spread the word about the medical value of cord blood stem cells. While you’re enjoying the long summer days, take a moment to tell any expecting friends and family members about the importance of preserving these valuable cells. In doing so, you may empower others to make informed choices regarding their family’s future health.

Read CBR’s press release commemorating Cord Blood Awareness Month

Cord Blood Banking: The “Ultimate Biological Recycling” of Life-Saving Stem Cells

PublicAffairs — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:53:00 GMT

When we think of recycling, it’s usually in terms of pizza boxes, soda cans and glass bottles, but RN Janine Henson has a different perspective. In a recent article posted at PregnancyToday.com, a popular education site for expectant moms, Henson describes cord blood banking as a form of biological recycling. “In this age of product recycling, it is exciting news that we now have the opportunity to recycle life-saving blood cells that have routinely been discarded with the placenta after childbirth,” Henson writes.

In the article, Henson provides a comprehensive overview of cord blood stem cells, including the collection and banking process, public and private banking options, and current and potential uses of cord blood stem cells—from leukemia and lymphoma to diabetes. For Hansen, the value of cord blood stem cells is clear, particularly for the thousands of Americans with life-threatening conditions who are unable to find bone marrow matches through the public donor system. “Umbilical cord blood collection and banking can make the difference in life or death for those awaiting stem cell transplants,” Henson writes.

Further Reading: The ABCs of Cord Blood Banking