The Stem Cell Source - Cord Blood and Beyond : umbilical cord blood

A Near-Tragedy Turns into a Story of Hope

PublicAffairs — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 00:48:00 GMT

Tonya and Marvin first learned about cord blood banking when they were pregnant with Sparrow. Like many expecting parents who bank, they decided to save her cord blood so it might be available for any of their children, should one of them ever need it. After some research, Tonya and Marvin decided to bank with Cord Blood Registry (CBR). Sparrow was born a healthy baby girl but had a near drowning experience when she was 2 years old. Sparrow lost her balance, tumbled into the family pool and become unconscious under the water.

Tonya began CPR until rescue workers arrived at their rural home and transported the little girl to a place where she could be medevaced to the nearest hospital. The emergency crew didn’t receive a pulse until they were in the air.

After being deprived of oxygen for so long, Sparrow’s neurologist had little hope that the toddler would come out of her vegetative state. Sparrow was sent home, unable to sit up, crawl, or talk.

Sparrow received a reinfusion of her cord blood stem cells through an investigational treatment at Duke University. Shortly after, in conjunction with physical and occupational therapies, her family began to report she was moving her limbs with purpose.

Today, Sparrow has been released from all of her physical and speech therapy classes. According to her mother, "Sparrow is doing so well! Other than continuing to have some balance issues, she can walk, run, and jump on the trampoline. She is meeting goals set out for her and far exceeding what anyone thought she was capable of."

See a video of Sparrow's story here.

Five Not-to-Miss CBR Posts

PublicAffairs — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 23:24:00 GMT

As the world’s largest, most experienced cord blood bank, CBR has a lot of news and success stories to share with our readers, viewers and followers. That’s why CBR has more than one way to provide updates and interact with anyone who is interested in newborn cord blood banking. For instance, we recently asked parents on Facebook for their best parenting advice and shared our founder’s story on YouTube. Continue reading to see some other highlights from Facebook and YouTube, and be sure to follow us so you don’t miss an update, contest or interesting discussion with other parents!

•   In our “Can’t Wait to…” contest, we challenged moms to tell us what they can’t wait to be able to do again after their baby is born – everything from drinking coffee to wearing skinny jeans! Moms are entered to win FREE cord tissue banking for answering the contest.

•   One CBR family, the Doheney’s, described how cord blood stem cells treated their son’s leukemia.

•   CBR spokesperson Giuliana Rancic just received her CBR CellAdvantage kit in the mail. We asked parents to weigh in on how early they received their kit. Join the discussion on Facebook!

•   In another success story on YouTube, the Mulumba family shared their experience, “Beating the Odds.” Thanks to a transfusion of cord blood stem cells, Carol Mulumba was treated for her sickle cell anemia and is able to live a healthier life.

•   We polled moms on Facebook to tell us one healthy habit they picked up during their pregnancy. Read the list and add yours!

There are plenty of heartwarming stories, exciting updates, tips and contests on our Facebook and YouTube pages. Don’t miss out!

Doing It All Over Again: The Split Moms Trend

PublicAffairs — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:32:00 GMT

The trend of "split parenting," or having children with an age difference larger than 10 years, has grown exponentially in recent years. One mom who followed this trend, Dr. Rallie McAllister, discusses the finer points and the challenges of being a "split mom." Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH, is a family physician, co-founder of www.MommyMDGuides.com, CBR spokesperson and coauthor of The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth and The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby’s First Year.

Benefits of Split Parenting

Different Needs Mean Different Challenges

• Because my sons are so different in age, they have vastly different needs. One way to meet each child’s needs is to find a way to fulfill them independently of the other, especially since they aren’t competing for the same attention in the way that three boys close in age would demand. For example, my older son, Chad, needs “been-there-done-that” advice and support in terms of his role as a new parent and spouse, balancing work and family, and planning for the future, but Oakley and Gatlin need me more for hands-on parenting and teaching them the skills they’ll need to be healthy, happy adults. This ranges from checking their homework, making sure they go to bed at a reasonable hour and holding them accountable for their household chores.

The Changing World of Medicine

• Medical advances are constantly in motion but it becomes even more apparent to a mom with children of varying ages. When my oldest son was born, there was no such thing as cord blood banking! But by the time I was pregnant with my two younger sons, the technology was really beginning to develop. I was glad to have a second chance to consider banking my babies’ cord blood, it really showed me things can change between pregnancies. Today, the medical advancements are even further along, with cord blood being used to treat a number of blood and immune diseases. For more information, visit www.cordblood.com

Parenting: Act 2

• Having children at different stages of your life provides the opportunity to experience the benefits of two very different parenting experiences! As a younger mom you have the benefits of having lots of extra energy to keep up with a child’s antics and adventures. While you may give up some of that endurance if you enter parenthood once again as an older mom, more maturity, wisdom and patience can help you to draw on the greater perspective that time brings.

• On this subject, maturity and experience can often result in a more positive and relaxed parenting style. As you have been able to learn from mistakes and see older children blossom into great people, you don’t have to micromanage your younger kids in ways you may have done with an older child. Having raised one son to maturity and seeing what a wonderful, responsible person he’s become, I realize being a good role model is one of the greatest gifts I can give to my children.

A Little Extra Help

• From a purely practical perspective, older kids can help out with younger ones!

By Dr. Rallie McAllister

Healthy Futures - 20 Years and Counting!

PublicAffairs — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:52:00 GMT

Advice from Mom

PublicAffairs — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:45:00 GMT

Happy Mother’s Day, CBR Moms! We hand it to you for having taken the extra step to protect your family’s health by banking your newborn’s cord blood stem cells. You’ve prepared for your family’s future before your little one has even arrived!

In honor of Mother’s Day, we’re asking you, savvy moms, to share parenting tips and advice with other moms and moms-to-be on our Facebook page. To get you thinking, here’s one from Lesley Burton-Iwinski, MD, which can be found on the Mommy MD Guides web site:

“It isn’t so much what you do that is important, it is how you are while you are doing it that matters.”

What words of wisdom did your mom share with you? What tips and tricks have you learned from your own experience or from other moms? Visit CBR on Facebook to share your own “momism” and pick up one from another mom.

From all of us at CBR, we wish you a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Expert Educator and Knowing Parent

PublicAffairs — Fri, 04 May 2012 23:33:00 GMT

One smart way to learn about cord blood banking is from a parent who has recently explored the options for his or her newborn. Nancy Eways, mother of three, is just that person. She’s been a CBR employee for five years, and when she got pregnant with her first child about three years ago, she knew CBR was the company to bank her newborn’s cord blood stem cells. As a highly trained CBR cord blood education specialist, Nancy helps parents navigate the world of cord blood banking. From basic questions to what to expect on the day of delivery, Nancy takes time with parents to educate them and make them feel comfortable. Continue reading to find out more about Nancy’s unique perspective as a CBR employee and client.

CBR: How long have you worked at CBR, and what originally drew you to the company?

Nancy: I have been with Cord Blood Registry for five years, and I initially started as a customer service representative. The more time I spent interacting with clients, the greater my interest grew in becoming a cord blood education specialist.

CBR: For our readers who are new to CBR, what is the role of a cord blood education specialist?

Nancy: A cord blood education specialist, CBES, educates expectant parents, and any other caller, on the benefits of cord blood banking. We answer any and all questions, and take parents through the process of what to expect on the day of delivery with the collection. We let parents know about all their options, including public banking if they feel that privately storing may not be right for them.

CBR: What do you enjoy most about being a CBES?

Nancy: Talking to and educating families who have never heard about cord blood banking.

CBR: When speaking with a potential client, you provide him or her with a lot of information about newborn cord blood banking. What are the most important things that you hope the person remembers after the conversation?

Nancy: I hope that potential clients remember that CBR has the highest published cell recovery yield as well as the family bank with most experience in storing and releasing cord blood samples.

CBR: Why did you decide to bank with CBR?

Nancy: Setting aside the fact that I work for the company and know their values and commitment, there is a reason CBR is number one in the industry—the company is obsessed with quality and helping ensure that families have the best possible sample in storage available for use should it ever be needed.

CBR: How has your perspective as a CBES changed now that your own children’s cord blood is banked with CBR?

Nancy: I feel lucky that I have had the time to learn about the value of cord blood stem cells before I ever started having a family. When speaking to prospective clients, I let them know I’m a parent who has stored for my three children and am very happy with my decision. But I also explain that I understand cord blood banking is a difficult decision.

CBR: Tell us about your kids!

Nancy: I have three boys! My oldest son and leader of the pack is two years old. My middle child is just ten months old. He’s still my baby and now has to share that title with the newest addition to our family, who was just born last month.

Power of Cord Blood Stem Cells

PublicAffairs — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:38:00 GMT

Dr. Mary Laughlin is Chief of the Stem Cell Transplant Program and Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia. Her work in cellular therapy is known internationally.

CBR: What sparked your interest in stem cells and stem cell therapies?

Dr. Mary Laughlin: I grew up in Buffalo, New York, and there was a cancer center in our region – Roswell Park Cancer Center. I was part of a fast track high school program that put me straight into the University of Rochester, which was a combined undergraduate program with an immediate move to medical school. It was a completely sterile environment, and they were performing allogeneic (unrelated) transplants in patients with blood related cancers. So, very early on I was intrigued with this concept of using stem cells to treat diseases. Medicine over the past two centuries has seen the development of drugs to treat the symptoms of a disease, but now we are entering into an entirely different landscape to use cells as a biologic therapy to change the course of a disease and perhaps trigger the body to repair itself.

CBR: Describe for our readers the different kinds of stem cells that are being considered for therapies.

Dr. Mary Laughlin: I divide the world of stem cells into three types, with pros and cons to each stem cell source. There are embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells from bone marrow or mobilized peripheral blood of adult donors, and then there are cord blood stem cells. From my perspective, cord blood, both in its applications in standard hematology applications as well as more recent applications outside of hematology within the realm of regenerative medicine, really lies between adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells.

Thousands of humans have been transplanted with cord blood. These successes don’t get coverage in the press because it's not controversial. Cord blood is accepted by the Vatican and all religious groups because it's collected after the birth of a baby. Cord blood has multi-potential stem cells. When you inject cord blood cells either into mice or into people, they do not form tumors or undergo malignant transformation.

CBR: What current stem cell research intrigues you the most?

Dr. Mary Laughlin: I appreciate the body's own mechanism of repairing all its organs, including the brain, the heart, the kidney, or the lung, rely in some way on marrow-derived cells which are constantly responding to cues of injuries in a variety of organs. For example, when a person is having a heart attack, if you draw their blood and you compare that to a group of people with cardiovascular disease who are not in the middle of heart attack, the number of hematopoietic stem cells (like bone marrow or cord blood) circulating in their blood increases in response to that heart attack. In other words, the body mobilizes cells to help repair the organ.

Now, we've come to understand when you introduce therapeutic cells, these cells are able to find the area of injury and secrete proteins that enhance and mediate reparative function by direct cell-to-cell interactions.

Other areas of interest for me in regenerative medicine are autoimmune diseases like diabetes and research in spinal cord injury.

CBR: What do you think stem cell therapies will look like 10 years from now?

Dr. Mary Laughlin: In some ways, the future is now –we are not only learning about the nature of these stem cells – that they’re the body's natural tool for repairing itself – but we are also learning quite a bit about specific bioactive proteins and lipids that impact the function of the cells. This work to understand how stem cells travel and how they’re retained within injured areas to assist in the body's own reparative mechanism – that’s where we're going over the next ten years.

Cord Blood Stem Cells Save Lives

PublicAffairs — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:27:00 GMT

DISCLAIMER:
Banking newborn stem cells does not guarantee that the cells will provide a cure or be applicable for
every situation. Use will be determined by the treating physician who will consider if the stem cells are
applicable for the condition and whether they should come from the patient or a suitable donor. There
is no guarantee that an adequate stem cell match will be found for any given patient. Use of cord
blood and cord tissue in regenerative medicine is experimental. There is no guarantee that treatments
being studied in the laboratory or in clinical trials will be available in the future.

SOURCES:
1) http://www.babycenter.com/0_surprising-facts-about-birth-in-the-united-states_1372273.bc

2) This information was gained by adding together figures from childhood incidence of diseases and
extrapolation based on the 18-year figure (multiplying some annual figures by 18 to reach the
number).

3,500 children will get leukemia this year (almost all of them are acute leukemia). That figure
multiplied by 18 is 63,000.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/cancer-prevalence

353,000 children currently have cancer; one-third are estimated to be acute leukemia. That's 116,000.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/cancer-prevalence
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/childhood

In the next 18 years, 3,900 people will have gotten aplastic anemia, based on the incidence of the
disease in the population and the number of children in the country.
http://marrow.org/Patient/Disease_and_Treatment/About_Your_Disease/Aplastic_Anemia/Aplastic_
Anemia_%28Severe%29.aspx

There are about 35 new cases of Diamond-Blackfan anemia in the U.S. and Canada each year; the
disease is normally diagnosed in infancy; that's more than 600 in the next 18 years
http://www.dbafoundation.org/faqs.php

20 kids are born with Fanconi anemia each year. In the next 18 years that is 360.
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/f/fanconi-anemia

Sickle cell disease affects 1 out of every 500 African-American newborns and 1 of every 1,000
Hispanic newborns. Using Census data on births and multiplying by 18, we arrive at 21,945 and 17,991.
http://www.cdc.gov/features/sicklecell
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparemaptable.jsp?ind=36&cat=2

As many as 20 patients with chronic granulomatous disease are born each year. Times 18, that's 360.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/956936-overview#a0199

In newborns and very young infants, Langerhans cell histiocytosis occurs in 2 per million; 4 million infants
born each year; times 18, that's 144.
https://www.histio.org/page.aspx?pid=379

As many as 100 kids are diagnosed with SCID each year. Times 18, that's 1,800.
http://www.genome.gov/13014325

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome incidence is as much as 10 per million males. In the U.S., using newborn
figures, that's 367 in the next 18 years.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/wiskott-aldrich-syndrome
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0080.pdf

Krabbe disease affects about 1 in 100,000 individuals. Using newborn figures, that's 738 in the
next 18 years.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/krabbe-disease
http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/tables/pop1.asp

Hurler's syndrome occurs in about one of every 100,000 babies born. Using the birth calculation, that's
738 in the next 18 years.
http://marrow.org/Patient/Disease_and_Treatment/About_Your_Disease/Metabolic_Disorders/Hurler_s_
Syndrome.aspx

Metachromatic leukodystrophy is reported to occur in 1 in 40,000 individuals. Using birth figures, that's
1,845 in the next 18 years.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/metachromatic-leukodystrophy

Sanfilippo syndrome is seen in about 1 in 70,000 births. That's 1,054 in the next 18 years.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001210.htm

3) Nietfeld JJ, et al. Lifetime probabilities of hemapoietic stem cell transplantation in the U.S. Biol Blood
Marrow Transplant. Mar 2008;14(3):316-322

4) http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerinChildren/DetailedGuide/cancer-in-children-types-of-childhood-c
ancers

5) http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html

6) http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/ConditionsAZ.aspx?ChunkID=220846

7) http://019221f.netsolhost.com/carrierstats.shtml

CREATED BY CORD BLOOD REGISTRY

Life’s Harsh Start for Little Max Harshman

PublicAffairs — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:15:00 GMT

Joani and Chad Harshman’s second son, Maxwell, was born with craniostenosis, a condition which occurs when one or more of the openings in an infant's skull closes too soon. This premature closing of areas meant that as Max’s brain grew, there would not be enough room to expand and allow for normal growth—causing increased pressure on the brain. Max had undergone corrective surgery at seven months of age but following his recuperation, he was still not developing normally. The family continued to see specialists for further evaluation.

When Max was one year old, he was diagnosed with hypotonia, a low muscle tone condition that can be related to abnormal brain development. The overall description of Max’s condition was “global developmental delay.”

“I am sure you can imagine the anguish and concern we had for our son,” Joani recounts. “His situation may be very different today if we hadn't discovered early in our pregnancy, information which allowed us to make a decision to store our Max's cord blood after birth.”

Because the family had privately banked with CBR, Max was accepted by Duke University Medical Center to take part in their compassionate use program where he received his own cord blood stem cells in May 2010. In addition to his infusion, Max continues to attend regular physical and occupational therapy sessions. His progress has flourished, including finally walking at almost 2 years old. His use of sign language is increasing and, at the same time, he’s becoming more verbal. Max’s family and therapists could not be happier with his development.

The medical staff at Duke advised the Harshmans to be looking for increased progress from six months post infusion. Max began walking the week before Christmas, which was seven months after his cord blood procedure. He has been on the go ever since.

Joani runs a family-friendly law practice in Kansas City, Missouri. She has become quite an advocate for cord blood banking, writing letters and emailing her Washington representatives in support of Missouri cord blood legislation which passed earlier this year. The bill requires physicians to educate expecting women on all their options regarding their child’s cord blood stem cells. Joanie and Chad had to do their own research. “We don’t like to think of how different things might have been for Max, if we hadn’t learned about cord blood banking during our pregnancy,” recalls Joani. “We simply want to ensure that families in Missouri are educated on all the cord blood options available to them.”

The Harshman family traveled back to Duke this past August for a second cord blood stem cell infusion for Max. They will be watching him closely for additional improvements in the months ahead.

CBR Hits Record-Breaking Storage Number

PublicAffairs — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 23:03:00 GMT

CBR recently achieved a major milestone: since opening our doors, we’ve collected, processed and stored cord blood and/or cord tissue for more than 400,000 children. To put the number into perspective – it’s equivalent to the population of a city the size of Miami, living safely within our cryogenic storage units.

So, what does it take to reach the 400,000 mark? Here are a few fun facts:

• 38,569 healthcare providers from around the world have collected samples for CBR
• In the U.S., 3,744 different hospitals collected cord blood and/or cord tissue stem cells using a CBR collection kit
• Outside of the U.S., 753 different hospitals collected cord blood and/or cord tissue stem cells using a CBR collection kit
• CBR safeguards the stem cells of more than 10,000 sets of twins
• Stem cell samples from all 50 states and 72 countries are tucked away safely in our lab

Here’s to achieving our next milestone!

CBR’s Newborn Possibilities Program Provides Cord Blood Banking at No Cost to Families with an Identified Medical Need

PublicAffairs — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:54:00 GMT

For years, CBR has provided free banking services to families with a pre-existing medical need. Now, we’re excited to expand public awareness of our programs nationwide.

The initiative is designed to ensure that a newborn’s stem cells are processed and stored at no cost in cases of identified medical need and high-risk deliveries to enhance treatment options and increase access to clinical trials for conditions where limited therapies currently exist. Nearly 3,000 physicians have collected units for the Newborn Possibilities Program and CBR has stored more than 4,400 units under the program since its inception.

“The Newborn Possibilities Program is not only providing an important treatment option for family members diagnosed with specific cancers, blood diseases, or immune diseases, but may also help eligible children to enroll in clinical trials that are using a newborn’s own stem cells as a treatment for conditions like brain injury or cerebral palsy which have no treatments available today,” said Vice President, Scientific and Medical affairs at CBR, Heather Brown.

Read more about the potential of newborn stem cell medicine and the real families that have benefitted from banking.

To learn more about CBR’s Newborn Possibilities Program, visit http://www.cordblood.com/en/benefits-cord-blood/family-cord-bloods

Cord Blood Stem Cell Clinical Trials May Help Treat Brain Injury and Hearing Loss

PublicAffairs — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:57:00 GMT

CBR® (Cord Blood Registry®) is not just the largest, most experienced stem cell bank – we’re dedicated to connecting clients with clinical trials evaluating the regenerative potential of newborn stem cells.

CBR is the exclusive partner for a growing number of clinical researchers focusing on the use of a child’s own cord blood stem cells to help treat pediatric brain injury and acquired hearing loss.

To ensure consistency in cord blood stem cell processing, storage and release for infusion, three separate trials have included CBR in their FDA-authorized protocol—including two at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) working in partnership with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and a third at Georgia Health Sciences University, home of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG). This makes CBR the only family stem cell bank pairing researchers with prospective patients for these studies.

These multi-year studies are a first step toward moving pre-clinical or animal research of cord blood stem cells into clinical trials in patients. Through the CBR Center for Regenerative Medicine, CBR will continue to partner with physicians who are interested in advancing cellular therapies in regenerative applications.

“The benefits of cord blood stem cells being very young, easy to obtain, unspecialized cells which have had limited exposure to environmental toxins or infectious diseases and easy to store for long terms without any loss of function, make them an attractive source for cellular therapy researchers today,” said Heather Brown, MS, CGC, Vice President of Scientific & Medical Affairs at Cord Blood Registry. “We are encouraged to see interest from such diverse researchers from neurosurgeons to endocrinologists and cardiac specialists.”

See more information on current clinical trials.