The Stem Cell Source : newborn stem cells

Physician Moms Support Cord Blood Banking

PublicAffairs — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:26:00 GMT

Soccer Moms. Helicopter Moms. Mama Grizzlies . . . the list goes on. Moms carry many titles and have many roles, and as the saying goes, “Mom knows best.”

That’s what makes one of the newest pregnancy books somewhat unique. Titled Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth, it includes unique tips that doctors who are also mothers used during their own pregnancies. Here’s what Dr. Dianna Kim, an ob-gyn and mother of three, shared about why she decided to bank her children’s cord blood:

My husband and I decided to bank each of our children’s cord blood. We thought we would do that just in case something happened. Researchers are finding more and more applications for stem cells, so I think that in the future cord blood may be even more useful…

Visit the MommyMD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth website to learn more or to order a copy.

The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth is just one of a growing number of pregnancy guides that addresses cord blood stem cells. Other great books that provide perspective on this topic for expectant parents include The Hot Mom to Be Handbook by Jessica Denay, YOU: Having a Baby by “America’s Doctor” Dr. Mehmet Oz, and Dad’s Pregnant Too by journalist Harlan Cohen.

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

Cord Blood Banks are Not Stem Cell Clinics

PublicAffairs — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:55:00 GMT

A recent story filed by Agence France-Presse (AFP), a Paris-based news service, offered a very misleading perspective on the current state of cord blood banking as well as the legitimate medical use of cord blood stem cells.

In essence, the reporter failed to recognize the difference between overseas “stem cell clinics” offering “unproven cures” and accredited cord blood banks in the U.S. that are facilitating FDA-approved research using a child’s own cord blood stem cells for new medical uses.

The story focused on comments made by one stem cell researcher, Dr. Irving Weissman, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Weissman appropriately denounces the practices of non-accredited “stem cell clinics,” which are often based in foreign countries with poor medical regulations, that offer infusions of stem cells as definitive treatments for a wide range of conditions. Several medical bodies and institutions have raised concerns about the inability of these clinics to substantiate their medical claims as well as the risk they pose to patient safety.

This is very different from the scientifically-valid and regulatory-approved research occurring in countries like the U.S. where pioneering physicians are studying the use of a child’s own cord blood stem cells as treatments for type 1 diabetes(1) and cerebral palsy(2). In fact, just last week Medical College of Georgia announced a new FDA-approved clinical trial to evaluate the use of a child’s own cord blood stem cells to treat cerebral palsy. It’s important to know that participants in these clinical trials were eligible because they had access to their own, genetically-unique cord blood stem cells because their parents made the decision to privately bank them at birth.

The protocols for these clinical trials require participants to have access to their own cord blood stem cells because they provide a guaranteed biological tissue match, do not require preparatory therapies like chemotherapy, do not pose the immune complications of donor cell infusions, and eliminate the need for anti-rejection drugs which can create complications. In other words, using a child’s own cord blood stem cells allows researchers to explore the potential of these cells in a way that is safe for patients.

It’s also important to note, that cord blood stem cells have been used for more than two decades to treat nearly 80 conditions, including certain cancers, blood disorders and immune diseases. Furthermore, stem cell researchers and leading medical organizations recognize that cord blood stem cells have unique characteristics. In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that cord blood stem cells “offers several distinct advantages” over other sources of stem cells when used in treatments for these types of conditions(3).

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(1)Clincialtrials.gov. Umbilical Cord Blood Infusion to Treat Type 1 Diabetes. University of Florida. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00305344?term=cord+blood+and+diabetes&rank=1. Accessed February 2010.
(2)Clinicaltrials.gov. Safety and Effectiveness of Cord Blood Stem Cell Infusion for the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy in Children. Medical College of Georgia. http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01072370?term=cerebral+palsy+and+cord+blood&rank=1. Accessed February 2010.
(3)ACOG Committee Opinion. Umbilical Cord Blood Banking. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2008;111(2):475-477.

Newborn Possibilities Fund: Helping Infants Go the Distance

PublicAffairs — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:24:00 GMT

In our last post, we introduced the Newborn Possibilities Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative launched in-part by CBR to ensure that children born at-risk for neurological damage and disability – conditions like cerebral palsy – are given every opportunity to participate in new medical research using their own newborn stem cells. CBR collects the cord blood of the infants in this program at no charge.

Today we are pleased to introduce the Newborn Possibilities Fund which is being established to provide financial assistance to families who may have difficulty participating in this new medical research due to significant expenses, like travel costs or lost days at work. One of the first trials being supported by the fund is the first FDA-approved clinical trial studying the use of cord blood stem cells to treat cerebral palsy.

On February 26-27, a team of 12 employees at CBR will be running a 200-mile race from Prescott to Mesa, Arizona (called the Ragnar Relay Del Sol) to raise money for the Newborn Possibilities Fund.

You can help with your generous support. We’ve set up a website to accept pledges and will collect funds after the race is complete. We invite you to support this worthy cause — and ask your friends and family to participate as well. And, CBR will match the total amount raised by the Ragnar running team dollar for dollar!

Whether you pledge $20 (a dime a mile) or $200 (a dollar a mile), every pledge will go to helping to better understand the role cord blood stem cells may play in helping children with cerebral palsy.

Go to NewbornPossibilites.com to learn more.

New Initiative Provides Safety Net to Infants Born At-Risk for Brain Injury While Helping To Advance Cord Blood Stem Cell Clinical Research

PublicAffairs — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:22:00 GMT

CBR is launching a new program in collaboration with a select group of leading U.S. medical institutions that will enable children born at risk for brain injuries to participate in new medical research using their own cord blood stem cells. The program, called Newborn Possibilities, will ensure that the cord blood of children born at-risk for developing cerebral palsy is preserved, so that if the child is later diagnosed with the condition, he or she may be eligible to receive a new treatment (being researched under approval from the FDA) using the child’s own cord blood stem cells.

The program is being jointly launched in Tucson by CBR, Tucson Medical Center and two prominent advocacy organizations based in Tucson, Save the Cord Foundation and Watching Over Mothers and Babies Foundation (WOMB). CBR plans to expand the program to other medical centers across the country in order to connect patients who may be at risk for neurological disabilities (and who have access to their cord blood stem cells) to FDA-approved clinical trials.

CBR will be providing cord blood banking collection and storage at no cost to the families who qualify, and the program is expected to enroll nearly 700 children in its first year. Because these children will have access to their own cord blood, they may be eligible for the first FDA-approved human clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of using a child’s own newborn blood stem cells to treat cerebral palsy.

A recent report by the March of Dimes estimates that 1 out of every 10 pregnancies in the U.S. results in a premature birth. Infants who survive premature birth face a higher risk of developing neurological complications such as cerebral palsy.

In addition, nearly 1.4 million individuals suffer a traumatic brain injury each year. One of the highest risk groups are infants ages 0-4. To date, there has been no cure for treating brain injuries.

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.

Cord Blood Stem Cells Successfully Expanded and Used To Treat Patients

PublicAffairs — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:34:00 GMT

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have made a significant scientific breakthrough by expanding the number of newborn stem cells from a unit of cord blood in the laboratory and then successfully using them to treat patients with leukemia. The study, which appeared in the Jan.17th issue of Nature Medicine, is the first published report showing success using expanded cord blood stem cells in patients.

The researchers were able to achieve an average 164-fold increase of stem cells and concluded that treating patients with the expanded stem cells restored the blood and immune system more quickly that than those who received only the non-expanded stem cells.

In a Science Daily article, study author Colleen Delaney explains, "The real ground-breaking aspect of this research is that we have shown that you can manipulate stem/progenitor cells in the lab with the goal of increasing their numbers. When given to a person, these cells can rapidly give rise to white blood cells and other components of the blood system."

According to a BBC News report, scientists have been looking for ways to expand the number of cord blood stem cells in the laboratory so that there are enough cells from a single cord to meet the needs of an adult patient.

Click here to read the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center press release

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.

A Horse? Of Course! Using Cord Blood Stem Cells to Treat Race Horse Injuries

PublicAffairs — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:53:00 GMT

We may not be the only ones to benefit from banking cord blood. In a recent blog entry published at the Huffington Post, nurse practitioner Barb Dehn describes how the latest advances in regenerative medicine may have exciting implications for thoroughbred horses. For example, the stem cells of race horses may someday be used by veterinarians to safely treat what could otherwise be career-ending injuries.

In her blog entry, Barb points out that many researchers are now recommending that owners and breeders of prize-winning thoroughbreds bank their umbilical cord blood. “If it’s a good idea for a race horse, then you can bet it’s probably a great idea for humans,” Barb writes in her blog post. We couldn’t agree more. You can read Barb’s blog entry in its entirety here.

Every Parent Has the Right to Know

PublicAffairs — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:49:00 GMT

Congresswoman Jackie Speier, a longtime champion of women’s and children’s health issues, introduced landmark legislation on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this week that advocates for the right of every parent to understand the value of cord blood stem cells and the ability to preserve them.

Designated the Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act (H.R. 2107), this landmark legislation takes a much-needed step forward in addressing a fundamental problem: expectant parents are poorly informed about cord blood banking. In fact, a comprehensive study of obstetric patients’ knowledge of cord blood banking published in the Journal of Reproductive Health found that only 14 percent of patients were educated about cord blood banking by their nurse or obstetrician. Of those patients that indicated some familiarity of the topic, 74 percent described themselves as “minimally informed!”

Given what we now know about the many available uses of cord blood stem cells, plus the great potential they hold for future regenerative medicine therapies targeting conditions that have no cure today, Representative Speier understands that providing better education and resources is a public health priority.

The Act includes several provisions intended to provide much-needed information about cord blood banking, including:
• A public education campaign that highlights the value of cord blood stem cells, provides details of public and private banking options, and average costs associated with cord blood banking.
• Creation of a patient informed consent document enabling expectant mothers to acknowledge in writing that they’ve received balanced information about cord blood banking options from their healthcare professional.
• Development of professional materials aimed at educating healthcare providers who offer prenatal services to pregnant women.
• Grants for targeted education about cord blood banking, particularly for people with certain conditions who may benefit from new stem cell therapies and minorities who may have trouble finding available public cord blood samples.

We believe this legislation will ultimately save lives and help further the remarkable progress we’re already seeing in the use of cord blood stem cells for regenerative medicine purposes. While cord blood legislation has been enacted in 21 states, specifics vary from state to state. The Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act would ensure that every pregnant mother in America has the same level of support to make an informed decision about whether to preserve her child’s cord blood for family use, donate the cells for public use or consent to allowing them to be disposed of as medical waste.

We encourage everyone to show their support. Contact your Representative of Congress and encourage them to support the Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act of 2009! For information on how to contact your Congressperson, visit the U.S. House of Representatives “Write Your Representative” site or call 202-224-3121.

CBR press release in support of the Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act of 2009

Rep. Speier’s official statement on the Cord Blood Education and Awareness Act of 2009

Research Results: A Child’s Own Stem Cells Can Change Course of Type 1 Diabetes

PublicAffairs — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:06:00 GMT

A study published in last week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that people with type 1 diabetes who received stem cell transplants using their own stem cells (autologous transplant), were able to go as long as four years without needing insulin treatments.

In addition to bone marrow stem cells collected from peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood stem cells have demonstrated the ability to alter the course of type 1 diabetes. Cord blood stem cells have successfully differentiated into insulin-producing cells in vitro and offer advantages over other stem cell sources. When compared to bone marrow and peripheral blood, cord blood is an ideal source of stem cells for use in these emerging type 1 diabetes therapies because it:

• is immediately available;
• involves a non-invasive collection process that presents no risk to the individual;
• is easily available for a patient’s own use if stored at a family bank;
• has a demonstrated clinical safety and efficacy;
• is capable of giving rise to insulin-producing cells;
• has a higher cell proliferation rate;
• has cellular/tissue reparative capabilities.

Data from a clinical trial being conducted at the University of Florida was first presented at the American Diabetes Association in 2007. The trial is examining the use of autologous cord blood stem cells to neutralize the body’s immune attack on the pancreas and prevent the destruction of existing insulin-producing cells – without compromising the immune system via chemotherapy or radiation. Patients were given intravenous (I.V.) infusions of their own cord blood stem cells and then evaluated to measure how much insulin they were making on their own, their blood sugar levels, and the function of key immune system cells.

Preliminary observations from the trial suggest that autologous cord blood stem cell infusions may safely slow disease progression and help to preserve insulin production in children with type 1 diabetes. Researchers are now recruiting patients for phase 2 of the study. They will be investigating whether a single intravenous infusion of a child’s own cord blood stem cells followed by one year of daily vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acid supplementation can preserve beta cell function in children with type 1 diabetes.

“My Brother Saved My Life”

PublicAffairs — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:15:00 GMT

Joseph Davis Jr., was diagnosed in his second year of life with sickle cell anemia, a serious and potentially life-threatening blood disorder. Doctors initially told his parents that he might not live past his teens. The family searched for a stem cell donor, but couldn’t find a match anywhere in the world. Fortunately, the family got a second chance when Joseph received a transplant of newborn stem cells from his younger brother Isaac’s umbilical cord blood. Today, Joseph’s doctors say he is cured.

This month’s issue of Dallas Child magazine features the story of the Davis family in a comprehensive, thoughtful article that also highlights the benefits and potential future uses of cord blood stem cells.

The Davises were able to bank younger son Isaac’s cord blood at no cost through CBR’s Designated Treatment Program which was the first program to offer free cord blood banking to families with a medical need.

The Davis Family has made educating others about cord blood banking their new mission in life. They are open about sharing their story because they want to help expectant parents - just like them - who have a family history of a disease that may be treated with cord blood stem cells IF they save them.

Because Isaac’s cord blood stem cells were a perfect match for Joseph, he is not only cured, but he does not suffer any of the medical complications that can occur if the stem cells are not a close match and the body rejects them.

Today, Joseph Jr. is proud to say, “My brother saved my life.” Isaac thinks it’s pretty cool, too.