The Stem Cell Source : family banking

18 Years of Experience Matter!

PublicAffairs — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:43:00 GMT

On the path from birth to maturity, reaching one’s 18th birthday is a very significant milestone. It’s an important achievement that validates, among many things, the training, development and experience necessary to take on life’s challenges.

This year, CBR officially marks our 18th anniversary. Not only were we the first family bank to store newborn stem cells for future use, but we continue to be the global leader and innovator in cord blood banking.

Our success is driven by a philosophy of continuous improvement built on a foundation of unparalleled industry experience. And experience matters, especially in an industry like ours that represents a rapidly evolving area of science and technology.

Today, the operations in CBR’s state-of-the-art, 80,000 square foot laboratory facility – the largest in the world – are governed by hundreds of written standard operating procedures (SOPs). As the industry pioneer, we didn’t have a roadmap or a manual we could copy. We wrote the book – literally.

Over time, other banks have followed us. Some are still in business, but others are not. Some are just beginning to learn the complexity of running their own laboratory. The process of preserving newborn stem cells from cord blood is delicate and complex. It takes experience to do it well, and at CBR we do it very well. In fact, CBR’s proprietary collection and processing technologies enable us to have the highest cell recovery rate in the industry, so we are able to preserve more stem cells for medical use than any other family bank. And, after 18 years, we’ve successfully processed the cord blood of more than 300,000 newborns.

In this blog, we talk a lot about why newborn stem cells from the umbilical cord are unique. It’s also important to understand what makes CBR unique. Experience matters.

Umbilical Cord Blood Made to Function Like Embryonic Stem Cells

PublicAffairs — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:41:00 GMT

Researchers at the Salk Institute announced last week that they successfully reprogrammed cord blood cells to function like embryonic stem cells. As reported by Science Daily, the institute’s study results are significant because they identify cord blood as a convenient source of versatile stem cells with theoretically limitless potential.

Embryonic stem cells have been the focus of scientific interest because they are considered “pluripotent,” which literally means “many potentials” (pluri + potent). Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to generate all of the various cell types in the body. However, the collection of embryonic stem cells raises ethical controversy because the embryo is destroyed in the process.

Induced pluipotent stem cells (iPS) are created by collecting tissue from child or adult tissue without harm to the individual and then genetically modifying the cells to behave like embryonic cells with pluripotent characteristics.

According to Juan-Carolos Izpisua Belmonte, Ph.D., a professor in the Salk Institute’s Gene Expression Laboratory who led the study, “Cord blood stem cells could serve as a safe, “ready-to-use” source for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), since they are easily accessible, immunologically immature and quick to return to an embryonic stem cell-like state.”

The cord blood stem cells used in this research passed all standard tests for pluripotency and were also more readily and quickly reprogrammed than other adult cells. According to Dr. Belmonte with cord blood stem cells “It’s almost like they are already half-way there.”

Dr. Belmonte’s next goal is to reprogram cord blood stem cells using methods that are safe for clinical trials in humans.

Individuals who have banked their baby’s cord blood stem cells for their own use could be among the first to have access to a wide range of potential new therapies as they become available. According to another study author, Ulrich Martin from Hannover Medical School in Germany, privately banked cord blood might actually be the source of a sufficient amount of cells to treat adults who develop diseases later in life – for example, heart disease – with cells derived from their own cord blood.

Achieving Happy, Healthy First Birthdays . . . And Many More Beyond

PublicAffairs — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:18:00 GMT

Helping parents protect and celebrate the health of their children is CBR’s primary mission and a driving force behind everything we do.

Years ago, we decided to start sending every child whose cord blood is banked with us a copy of Karen Katz’s classic children’s story, “Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?” on his or her first birthday. It’s a tradition that serves as a reminder to us – and to our clients – about what makes CBR unique.

This year we decided to take this tradition one step further. Since our inception, a driving force of our culture has been to “give back” to the communities we serve. It is in this spirit that we are pleased to announce a new partnership we have formed with First Candle, a leading national nonprofit organization focused on promoting safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life.

In recognition of our common goal – ensuring that more babies achieve a happy, healthy first birthday – CBR is making an annual donation to First Candle in celebration of our clients' first birthdays. Our contribution is intended to highlight the great work that First Candle does as well as to recognize the work that is still left to do.

First Candle provides a wealth of resources for new and expectant parents during pregnancy and after delivery as well as a wide range of information for nurses and other healthcare providers. For more information about First Candle, you can visit their Website at http://www.firstcandle.org/.

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

North Carolina Latest State to Enact Cord Blood Education Law

PublicAffairs — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:42:00 GMT

This week North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed a law that requires the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to provide free education about cord blood stem cells and the options for preserving them to parents and physicians. Sponsored by Representative Margaret Dickson, this law also encourages physicians to make the information available to expectant parents early enough in pregnancy so that the parents can make an informed decision about whether to participate in a public or private cord blood banking program.

North Carolina is the 22nd state to institute legislation about cord blood education, guided by recommendations first issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2004. In a comprehensive report to Congress analyzing the issues involved with creating a national banking program, the IOM included two key recommendations highlighting the need for healthcare providers to help all expectant parents make an informed choice about the storage or disposal of their newborn's cord blood stem cells and to provide education on all cord blood banking options prior to labor and delivery:

Recommendation 5.2: Informed Consent Should be Obtained Prior to Labor and Delivery. Informed consent for the collection, storage and use of cord blood should be obtained before labor and delivery, and after the adequate disclosure of information.
Recommendation 5.3: Donors Must Be Provided with Clear Information about their Options. The information provided to a donor must include a balanced perspective on the different options for banking (family banking or public donation). The information disclosed for donation should not include language that gives the impression that the unit will be available to the family after donation.

The importance of the IOM study in shaping health policy on cord blood banking was highlighted in a U.S. Senate Committee Report that accompanied The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, creating the national cord blood banking program:

“The committee strongly supports the IOM report recommendation that women be provided with a balanced perspective and clear information in order to participate, actively and knowledgably, in the choice of whether or how to donate cord blood. Informed consent is likely to include, at least, consideration of the following options: public donation or private storage; and disposal.”

Thanks to the work of the Institute of Medicine, federal and state health policy on cord blood is changing. With the passage of the North Carolina law, nearly 75 percent of the U.S. population now benefits from state-endorsed education on cord blood stem cells.

Every Voice Counts: Support the Family Cord Blood Banking Act!

PublicAffairs — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 22:15:00 GMT

A few months ago we wrote about the Family Cord Blood Banking Act (H.R. 1718), a new federal bill that would allow parents to use pre-tax dollars to pay for cord blood stem cells. Now we’re asking for your help in making sure the bill becomes law.

Under current IRS regulations, you can use tax-free dollars to pay for everyday medical expenses like over-the-counter cough syrup or band aids, but not the cost of preserving your newborn’s stem cells. Enabling families to use tax-free dollars to pay for cord blood banking through flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), or health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) can reduce the cost of cord blood banking – a significant benefit for many families who are struggling due to current economic conditions.

The Family Cord Blood Banking Act has solid bi-partisan support, but more co-sponsors are needed to accelerate the process and help ensure that the bill becomes law. You can support this effort by asking your Representative to become a co-sponsor of H.R. 1718 in three easy steps:

1. Know what the bill says: Read the content of H.R. 1718

2. Draft an e-mail: It’s important to use your own words, but you can use this sample template to get started. If you’ve banked your child’s cord blood, be sure to include the reasons why you chose to do so.

3. Contact your U.S. Representative: Visit the U.S. House of Representatives “Write Your Representative” web site.

The Time is Now!

Because Congress is actively discussing Healthcare Reform issues now, your e-mails will have the most impact in the next three weeks (before the July 4th Holiday). And, because every voice counts, encourage your friends and family to write their U.S. Representatives, too.

Thanks for supporting this important legislation to make cord blood banking more affordable for all American families!

Safety Mom Helps Parents Get Smart about Cord Blood Banking

PublicAffairs — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Safety Mom Alison Rhodes has been an active proponent of child health and safety issues ever since her first child died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 1997. A fervent believer that parents are the best advocates for their children, Alison maintains a website and blog, and travels the country speaking on topics about children’s health and well-being, including cord blood banking.

Alison recently appeared on ABC San Francisco’s The View from the Bay television program, where she discussed emerging research involving cord blood stem cells as well as the cost of preserving a child’s own cord blood for future use – approximately $18 per month for the first 18 years of a child’s life. “Things are being done with cord blood that are absolutely amazing,” Alison stated. Given the tremendous pace of medical research, “it’s insurance for the future.”

View Safety Mom Alison Rhodes on The View from the Bay

Visit the Safety Mom online

A Physician’s Perspective: Two Purchases That Can Be Lifesaving for Your Newborn

PublicAffairs — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:06:00 GMT

Increasingly, physicians and researchers are studying the use of a child’s own cord blood stem cells to help repair specific tissue or organs in the body damaged by disease or injury. Referred to as regenerative medicine, this field of study has the potential to change the treatment of conditions that have no cure today.

Dr. Marra Francis, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and former Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas is a strong believer in the value of cord blood stem cells, as well as the importance of educating expectant mothers about the ability to preserve this important medical resource.

Recently Dr. Francis’ shared her perspectives with us:

What do you tell your patients about cord blood banking?
From my perspective, there are only two things you can buy for your unborn child that are lifesaving: a good car seat and cord blood banking. I educate every one of my patients on the options for preserving cord blood.

How did you first become involved with cord blood banking?
I was introduced to cord blood banking during my residency. We collected cord blood for private storage, public donation and for a study using cord blood to research the impact of toxins from the World Trade Center disaster to unborn children. During my chief year of residency, I became pregnant and knew from my experience and education of cord blood banking that I wanted to have this valuable medical resource for my child.

How do you incorporate cord blood education into your practice?
This is an important topic, so I begin cord blood education on the first visit by handing out educational materials. I check at the both 16-week visit as well as the 20-week visit during the ultrasound to see if the patient has any questions. By this time the parents, and usually the grandparents, are a very captive audience as they first see the baby. My final discussion with the patient is at the 36th week, so the decision on whether to store, donate or discard their child’s cord blood is made well before the newborn arrives.

What do you tell your patients when they ask about the cost of banking?
I believe the cost of banking should be incorporated into a baby budget established at the very beginning of pregnancy. A newborn does not know – or care – if the crib bedding matches the curtains, or if they have on a designer “onesie.” But the ability to provide your child a treatment option for a life-threatening illness or injury is absolutely priceless. I often compare the cost of banking to the cost of a flat-screen television. The price may be the same, but the value to your family is very different. All of my children have their cord blood banked, and we still use the television from my husband’s college fraternity house.

What do most patients ask about cord blood banking?
I often get asked about the likelihood of using banked cord blood stem cells. I point to the published data that suggests 1 in 200 individuals will need a stem cell transplant at some point in life. I also explain that the odds of using cord blood will increase with advancements in regenerative treatments for tissue and organ damage. I truly envision a day when patients arriving at the ER will be routinely questioned by the triage nurse, “Do you have your cord blood banked?” That answer will determine the course of treatment for the patient.

"Why I Stored My Baby's Cord Blood"

PublicAffairs — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:28:00 GMT

Momlogic is a popular online resource that offers parenting tips, health resources, news and perspectives for moms “who want to know a little bit about a lot of things, but have very little time.” It’s where we discovered a blog post from a first-time mom named Jenny about her decision to bank her baby’s cord blood with Cord Blood Registry.

In her post, Jenny provides an overview of the medical value of cord blood stem cells, the related costs for family banking and the reasons she made the decision to preserve her child’s cord blood stem cells. As Jenny writes, “Knowing that these cells are available and could save my child's life was all the evidence I needed. And for me, you can't put a price tag on that peace of mind.”

We believe all expectant parents should be educated about the value of cord blood stem cells so they can make an informed decision about the one-time opportunity to preserve them. We thought Jenny’s concise, thoughtful perspective and “mom logic” was important to pass along. You can read her complete post here.