The Stem Cell Source : stem cells

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

Virginia 18th State to Legislate Cord Blood Education

PublicAffairs — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:37:00 GMT

Last week, the Governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, signed the state’s Cord Blood Education Bill (HB85) into law requiring the State Department of Health to publish information on its website about cord blood stem cells and parents’ options of preserving them. The new law also requires prenatal care physicians to educate expectant parents about their 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.

With the passage of the Virginia law, 18 states -- representing two-thirds of the U.S. population -- now benefit from state-endorsed education on cord blood stem cells and the private and public cord blood banking options available to parents.

The increasing number of states to enact cord blood education legislation stems from recommendations that were 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 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:

According to Dr. George Bronsky, OB-GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist at Fairfax Hospital, parents have the right to informed choice:

“Because expectant parents have only one opportunity to preserve their child’s cord blood, they have the right to be educated about their options,” he said. “There are many current therapeutic uses for these cells, and research is already underway that may soon lead to treatments using a child’s own cord blood for conditions such as juvenile diabetes and cerebral palsy. Despite the value of these cells, published data shows that three out of every four pregnant women consider themselves only ‘minimally informed’.”

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

PublicAffairs — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT

In a recent blog post, we discussed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a particular type of stem cell with several unique characteristics that make them of particular interest to researchers who are exploring their potential in a wide variety of therapeutic applications – including preclinical research on a chronic lung disease that impacts newborns.

According to study results published in Cell Transplantation, MSCs derived from human umbilical cord blood reduced injury and inflammation in animal models of neonatal lung damage caused by bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

BPD affects babies born prematurely or those who experience respiratory problems shortly after birth who require high levels of oxygen from a ventilator for long periods of time. Although mechanical ventilation is critical to survival, the pressure from the ventilation and excess oxygen can injure a newborn's delicate lungs over time. The lung damage of BPD can lead to long-term respiratory health problems and has few effective treatments today.

The researchers found that newborn MSCs from the umbilical cord significantly reduced structural growth impairments, cell death and signs of inflammation associated with BPD. The protective effects of MSC therapy against lung injury appeared to be a result of the anti-inflammatory activity of the stem cells. The researchers also noted that a small number of the newborn MSCs may have developed into lung epithelial cells as well.

The study gives strong preclinical evidence to support further research for using newborn mesenchymal stem cells to treat BPD – an important step forward for some of the world’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients.

Along with asthma and cystic fibrosis, BPD is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), between 5,000 and 10,000 cases of BPD occur every year in the United States.

Click here to view the study.

Study Result: Sheep’s Own Cord Blood Helps Heart Damage

PublicAffairs — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:54:00 GMT

Based on data recently published in Cell Transplantation, researchers demonstrated that in a study with sheep, self-donated – also called autologous – cord blood stem cells played an important role in heart repair following surgery.

Human patients undergoing surgical repair for a common congenital heart disease called tetrology of fallot (TOF) often experience blood leakage into the right ventricle of the heart. This leakage can cause the ventricle to malfunction, resulting in complications that could potentially lead to death. In this controlled study, 20 sheep underwent heart surgery to simulate the post-surgical condition following repair of TOF. The researchers of the study wanted to determine if injecting a sheep’s own stem cells from umbilical cord blood was safe and could help protect the right ventricle of the heart from this common side effect of congenital heart surgery.

Three months following the surgery, ten of the sheep received an injection of their own umbilical cord blood into the right ventricle of the heart, and ten received a placebo injection. Ninety days following treatment, when physical exertion was simulated in a stress test the speed of contraction and relaxation of the right ventricle was significantly higher (an indication of improved function) in those that received the stem cells compared to those that received the placebo. In addition, the treated animals showed substantially higher capillary density than the untreated group, leading the researchers to conclude that the cord blood stem cell treatment is safe and may positively influence the function of the heart.

These study results contribute to the growing body of research suggesting that using a child’s own cord blood stem cells may play a therapeutic role in cardiovascular repair, particularly in congenital heart defects.

Click here to view the study

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.

Ohio Senate Should Be Encouraged to Vote on Bi-Partisan Cord Blood Education Bill

PublicAffairs — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:52:00 GMT

Expectant parents in Ohio could soon benefit from better information about their options to preserve the stem cells in their baby’s umbilical cord blood if the state Senate passes a well-supported, bi-partisan education bill that has already been passed by the House.

House Bill 102 would require the Ohio Department of Health to provide cord blood banking information and encourage health care professionals to educate parents about the options to preserve the stem cells for family use or donate them for public use.

Similar legislation has already been enacted in 17 other states, yet despite recent legislative advances, published research shows that three out of every four pregnant women consider themselves only “minimally informed” about their cord blood banking options.

Cord blood education is good health policy. In 2004, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommended that all pregnant women be educated about cord blood stem cells early enough in pregnancy for them to make an informed decision about the options to preserve these valuable cells.

If you live in Ohio, you can make a difference! Contact your state senator and ask them to support Ohio House Bill 102. You can find information about your state senator and other key senate leaders at www.senate.state.oh.us/senators/. With your help, we can help ensure that more pregnant women receive information about the value of their baby’s cord blood stem cells and their options for preserving them.

CBR Supports Stem Cell Awareness Day!

PublicAffairs — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:44:00 GMT

On September 23rd, organizations around the world dedicated to advancing stem cell science and regenerative therapies will come together
to mark Stem Cell Awareness Day. The Day is an opportunity to celebrate the progress we’ve made in regenerative medicine and to look ahead toward the advances still to come. With its rich supply of stem cells, umbilical cord blood plays a significant role in furthering stem cell research.

If you’d like to get involved, there are several ways to mark the day and show your support of stem cell research:

• Have a way with words? Then consider entering a stem cell poetry contest sponsored by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in honor of Stem Cell Awareness Day. To participate, submit your poem to stemcellday@cirm.ca.gov before the September 14 deadline.

• Get involved with events and activities held in your area. You can find a list of events by location at www.stemcellday.com.

• Tell a pregnant friend about the medial value of umbilical cord blood stem cells and how they’ve been saving lives for over 20 years and have been used in the treatment of nearly 80 serious diseases, including leukemia, other cancers, and blood disorders. By spreading the word, you can help advance stem cell science.

To learn more about Stem Cell Awareness Day, visit www.stemcellday.com.

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.

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