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A Welcome Review

Eric Drew: A Story of Cord Blood Saving a Leukemia Patient

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Hey Everyone, New to Cord Blood Banking and want to here how the process works… Cord Blood Donation Process Explained Otherwise, I found some pretty cool info on this dude Eric Drew. His story is quite remarkable. The basics are that he got a cord blood transplant when he had leukemia real bad. He survived to tell about it and is now doing very well.

He flew to Minnesota and met with the doctors and found that they were ready to try an even more experimental procedure – a “double cord blood” transplant. There was a higher risk to this new procedure, but it appeared to be his best chance for long-term survival and recovery.

He now celebrates his second Birthday on July 23, 2004, his stem cell transplant day. On that date, his old immune system died and a brand new “re-booted” system was born. His one year test results show 100% remission from the leukemia, and I am feeling better than I have felt since his diagnosis nearly three years ago.

Here’s an inspiring video from NBC15 about Eric Drew Miracle of Medicine

Cord Blood News

Cord Blood Banking Future is Being Railroaded by BS.

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So here is the big deal, cord blood banking is having some real opposition from this President Bush Guy, I mean the guy is like veto-ing science and research for the sake of his cronies, I’m not sure why so many people are going with this, but progress is progress…if we had a war or something then we’d work on other weapons. So how is the medical community in the US any different to be able to work on science like stem cell and cord blood banking to surpass other counties any different. Its a race for intellectuals and these medical companies with locate in friendlier science countries and do important research and break-thru there. It really comes down to a matter of jobs, and if pregnant women aren’t allowed to choose to have their babies umbilical cells frozen to be used later then we all loose. Think about the costs, it roughly costs about $2,000 to start in a cord blood bank, these are the admin fees, then another 100$ or so every year to keep everything frozen. If there was more research and thus competition for the Biolife and CyroBanks of the world, then the cost would come down and everyone could do it.

Here are some words about the government keeping control on our lives…as usual 😉

“If this bill would have become law, American taxpayers would, for the first time in our history, be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos. And I’m not going to allow it,” Bush said in the July 19 ceremony. “Crossing the line would needlessly encourage a conflict between science and ethics that can only do damage to both and to our nation as a whole. If we’re to find the right ways to advance ethical medical research, we must also be willing, when necessary, to reject the wrong ways.”

Bush announced his actions in the White House’s East Room to an audience that included 18 families with “snowflake” children they adopted as embryos in storage at fertility clinics, four families who donated embryos to other families and four people who have been treated with non-embryonic stem cells, which do not harm donors.

Southern Baptist public policy leader Richard Land commended Bush for “standing by the principles he has articulated on this issue from the beginning.”

“The essential issue here is whether or not we as a nation want to underwrite the killing of unborn children in order to try to seek cures for older and bigger human beings,” said Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and an attendee at the White House event. “This is biotech cannibalism in which we eat our own young in order to treat and extend the lives of older and bigger human beings. Americans should be grateful we have a president who says, ‘No, this is not the kind of nation we want to be.’”

Bush signed into law the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act, S. 3504, which bars the acceptance of tissue from an embryo implanted or developed in a woman or animal for research purposes. Though no such experiments have been performed with human beings, some researchers have aborted animal fetuses and harvested their body parts as a possible precursor, supporters of the new ban said. The “fetus farming” ban passed both houses of Congress unanimously.

See what I mean, its like Bush is just making up this moral BS to pander to people that really don’t understand that this research is essential to humans and will happen somewhere else regardless. Its seriously a matter of economics and jobs and not fluff morals and being better then others…let’s look at the reality of life…its hard and we are here for survival and replication….check out this guy for more logical and scientific realities http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins …stop living a fantasy world BUSH!

Cord Blood News

Stem Cell Research and Cord Blood Banking at a Major Crossroads

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Okay so check this out, the US Senate has passed a bill loosening restrictions on embryonic stem cell research by a vote of 63 to 37. Which is really awesome for everyone involved with cord blood banking and stem cell research…BUT President Bush is sure block it with the first veto of his five and a half years in office.

President Bush is so adamant on veto-ing this bill its rather odd.
Is this not the saddest thing you’ve ever heard? We work so hard to make cool technologies and the President just knocks it down.

The legislation lifts the ban on federal funding for stem cell research using some of the hundreds of thousands of stored embryos discarded by couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation procedures. Most stem cell researchers are adamant that the funding ban is severely restricting the development of stem cell use for a variety of diseases including several forms of cancer including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

This is so IMPORTANT to research these diseases! Again, its so sad that the president of the most powerful country in the world doesn’t see the benefit of this…I just don’t get it.
Check this out, there are some heroes out there that are voicing against the Pres…

Polls have consistently shown that more than 60 per cent of Americans support federal funding for expanded stem cell research. The actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, has been traveling the country, sometimes with his fellow Parkinson’s sufferer Muhammad Ali, urging Mr Bush not to veto the legislation.

This is SO awesome that they are doing this! I am very happy that someone famous is standing up.

Currently, federal funding is only available for selected stem cell lines created from “spare” IVF embryos created before August 9, 2001. Since the 63 “yes” votes are four short of the number required to override his veto, the measure has been killed — at least for the time being.

Again, this can’t go on like this! Contact your congressman and ask to fix this before the movement dies!

Problems of Donation

Cord Blood Donation Problems

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PROBLEMS WITH CORD BLOOD DONATION

Whereas stem cell research leads to a fierce ethical debate, there are no such problems surrounding cord blood donation. If anything, the major concern is that very few donor programs exist. Co-relationally, the number of physicians who are geographically capable of participating in the programs is limited. A group of private cord-blood banks caters to families who want to store cord blood for their own children in case of future illness. These facilities charge fees to collect and store cord blood for a family’s exclusive use. There are pros and cons to this private use of cord blood, but this is ultimately a personal decision for families to make.

The use of umbilical cord blood raises two main ethical problems. First, the exact timing of the clamping has a significant impact on the neonate. Studies indicate that early clamping may cause an abrupt surge in arterial pressure, resulting in intraventricular haemorrhage. This is even more of a risk in premature babies. Second, there is a risk that the infant donor will develop a need for his or her own cord blood later in life. If that child was a donor and this later need arises, he or she might be without blood, when he or she could have had his or her own blood stored.

The first issue is easily addressed. To avoid health risks, normal clamping protocol should be followed and not altered in such a way that might endanger the infant. Additionally, parents of the infant must be fully informed of the risks of the donation and written consent should be obtained from them.

The second concern, that the child may need the blood later in life, is more complex. The possibility that an infant donor would be in need of his or her own umbilical cord blood is highly unlikely. There are a number of reasons why the infant may not need the blood later. The diseases that are treated by bone marrow transplantation are not common, and there may be other treatment alternatives available, particularly in the future when the illness would occur. Additionally, the demand for foetal umbilical cord blood will increase as it becomes medically certain that the blood may be used in persons unrelated to the donor. This situation will reduce the need to store a particular infant’s blood since umbilical cord blood from other donors would be available. If the blood is sufficient for use in unrelated individuals, then the donor may obtain the cord blood from another donor later in life, making the need to store his or her own blood unnecessary. These original donors, however, should be given priority in receipt of such blood if they need a donation later in life.

For all of these reasons, it would generally not be unethical to use the cord blood. However, if the child-donor is known to be at risk for an illness that is treated by bone marrow donation, the child should not be used as a donor, and his or her blood should be stored for future use.

California, category

San Francisco Centers

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SF Bay Area Cord Blood Registry
Filed under San Francisco Centers

Cord Blood Registry specializes only in the collection, processing, storage, and retrieval of cord blood stem cells. Their AABB-accredited laboratory in Tucson has been processing cord blood since 1992. CBR provides the highest quality and most conscientious service. Banking a baby’s cord blood stem cells gives more control over a family’s future health.

Cord Blood Registry
1200 Bayhill Drive, Suite 301
San Bruno, California 94066
888-932-6568
International callers:  (650) 635-1420
fax 800-844-2202

Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute

Several world class research hospitals in the San Francisco area participate in cord blood donor programs. Private companies are also available for those parents who wish to insure access to their child’s own cord blood. Expectant parents should consult their physicians, the hospital resources as well as community resources to fully educate themselves on this topic.

The Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute Sibling Donor Cord Blood Program is a national program designed to provide a unique treatment option to families with children suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, other cancers, sickle cell disease, thalassemia or other transplant treatable diseases.

When a family with a child who might benefit from a cord blood transplant is expecting another child, the program facilitates collection of the baby’s umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery.

After collection, the blood is transported to their stem cell bank where it is analyzed and stored. If the cord blood unit is needed for transplantation in the affected sibling, the program transports the unit to the transplant center for use.

Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute
5700 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, California 94609
Phone 510-450-7600
Fax 510-450-7910

Advantages of Donation, Cord Blood News

Football Players Store Cord Blood for Future Use

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So below is a great interview regarding sports stars saving their stem cells for future use….what sorts of use. Well for themselves or offspring in fixing genetic diseases and such. Very interesting use of technology that has only been really used for newborns.

In medicine it’s liquid gold and for sportsmen and women it could mean extending their careers for more years than they can imagine. Cord blood from their own babies is being stored by footballers in England so they have stem cells available for use in possible future cures for cartilage and ligament problems. Sports doctors here say players’ careers are worth so much to them that it’s just a matter of time before they consider using their own babies’ cord blood for a rainy day down the track in the USA.

English Premier League players are reportedly storing stem cells from their newborn babies, as a potential future treatment for their own sports injuries. The Sunday NY Times newspaper reports that five players, including Frenchman Thierry Henri, have stored the blood from their babies’ umbilical cords, as a potential repair kit for themselves.
It’s not happening much in the US yet, but sports doctor Dr Peter Breukner says it’s just a matter of time before it does.

“I haven’t heard of it happening in this country up to now, but people have a lot of time and money invested in their sporting careers, and the one thing that can stop them achieving their ultimate goal is injury, and they will do virtually anything to ensure that they are able to continue their careers.”

Cryosite is the only TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) approved private stem cell storage facility, a sort of cord blood bank where thousands of parents have stored the umbilical cord blood of their babies.

Cryosite’s Professor Ron Penny says “At the moment the best cells to store are the cord cells, because they’re young, fresh, have a very high reproductive capacity, and are extraordinarily efficient in dividing and presumably, in this situation, replacing damaged tissue. We’ve mainly been considering damaged tissue or vital tissues such as heart and so on, but sportspeople and many others will eventually have other ideas and other uses for stem cells that are differentiated.”

According to the Sunday NY Times newspaper, 11,000 British parents have paid up to $4,000 to store their babies’ stem cells in banks to grow tissues.

Professor Ron Penny can see a time when sports stars here will pay to do the same, for the sake of their own careers. He says, “If a sportsperson’s life and career depends on their body, and they really push their body through, and we all know the role of sports medicine, where there’s massive amount of injury that they sustain because of what their body’s put through, I think it’s an imminently possible area, and if it’s being done over in the UK, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be done and couldn’t be stored, on the understanding that the technology has to be confident that it works.”

A Welcome Review

What is Cord Blood and Can it Help Your Baby?

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Cord blood is the blood found in the umbilical cord after a baby is born. It is becoming increasingly popular to bank this cord blood. The reason? The umbilical cord blood contains stem cells.What are stem cells and why could they be important to the future health of your baby?

Stem cells from cord blood are cells that can create other kinds of beneficial blood cells. These other types of blood cells can be used to combat a variety of diseases that attack the immune system from certain blood diseases to certain varieties of cancers. As medical knowledge continues to advance it is also possible that a number of other diseases might be treatable with this umbilical cord blood.

Saving stem cells from cord blood is becoming a popular option because unlike bone marrow stem cell retrieval it is much easier to harvest and less dangerous to the patient. In fact, the procedure to collect cord blood from the baby at birth is painless for the baby and won’t interrupt the birth process.

Another advantage of stem cells from cord blood is that there appears to be less chance of rejection from the host once the cells are introduced making it easier in the case of transplants and other uses. Add to that the fact that banked cord blood is much more readily accessible than searching for a bone marrow donor through the bone marrow registries and you have an option that makes cord blood seemingly preferable to bone marrow for use in transplants.

Is cord blood preservation and storage economically feasible though?

That remains to be seen. Although the likelihood of one ever having to use the cord blood is remote, the fact that you may have a bank account with cord blood can provide many with a peace of mind unmatched. Having said that, the jury is still out as to whether using the stem cell blood for your own child is effective or not. For this reason, one should consult a doctor well-versed in the knowledge of the benefits and perils of stem cell transplantation prior to using stored cord blood or even setting up a cord blood bank account.

Using a cord blood bank to store the cord blood for the future use of your child could be important for families that have a history of some cancers or genetic disorders. In this case having the umbilical cord blood in storage is an option that could be explored. There are an increasing number of cord blood banks that handle cord blood storage. Usually there is an initial outlay that may run up to a couple of thousand dollars followed by a yearly maintenance fee.

Two of the most prominent cord blood banks include the Cord Blood Registry and Viacord. Stored cord blood from the Cord
Blood Registry has been responsible for more transplant blood than any other cord blood bank to date. They, like their counterparts, have recommendations from medical professionals on their site.

A parent can also donate the cord blood of their baby to be made available to others via a public cord blood bank. One caveat here though is that even though this is a noble option and one that could very well prolong the lives of others in need there is more red tape involved as the disease history of the parents must be tested, analyzed and confirmed often making it an expensive option. In the end, is cord blood donation a wise option? On the positive side you have the improved health possibilities and potential future technological advances that may come up with more valuable uses of the stored cord blood. On the negative side you have the cost to retrieve and store the cord blood and the ambiguous scientific evidence as to its efficacy. Choosing to store or donate cord blood in a cord blood bank then should probably only be done after consultation with a knowledgable physician well-versed in the latest cord blood stem cell research.

About the author:
At BabyTipsPlus.com grab your free comprehensive baby shower ebook, list of Top 100 baby names, baby care articles and more http://www.babytipsplus.com/cordblood.php

Advantages of Donation

Blood Cord Investing in Your Baby’s Future

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We all know that blood saves lives, and most of us are familiar with the importance of donating blood when and if we can. As medical science has progressed, however, the ways in which blood can be donated, and even the types of blood it is possible to share, have increased, bringing with them a number of issues that society must debate.

All cultures have their own traditions surrounding the process of giving birth, and some of these involve the placenta and umbilical cord, used to allow the transfer of substances between mother and child before birth takes place. While some cultures espouse the ingestion of a mother’s placenta, western medicine has found another use for this organ, or at least for what is contained within.

The placenta and umbilical cord contain a type of blood that is rich with stem cells, which can be used to great benefit in patients suffering from a variety of immune disorders. The most widely known use of such cells is in bone marrow transplants, where patients suffering from cancer receive the bone marrow from a living donor, replacing the unhealthy blood cells of the patient for the life-saving ones of the voluntary donor. The process of bone marrow transplantation can, however, be time consuming, and finding an exact donor match can be difficult.

Cord blood contains a similar type of the stem cells that are found in bone marrow, but the way in which it is donated makes it more readily available for the patient in need. Cord blood, once tested for its suitability, can be stored in a special facility until it is needed – when it can be sent directly to the patient without enduring the time consuming search for a bone marrow donor.

Cord blood donation raises a number of issues. Public cord blood storage units are not always available to the parents who wish to donate their baby’s blood. While parents can choose to store the cord blood privately for their baby’s later use, this can be expensive, and raises the question of whether the blood should wait for someone who might never use it or be given immediately to a patient in need.

For the moment, this remains the choice of the parents, who can choose to save their baby’s cord blood, if they can afford to pay the price. Like all insurance policies, it might be one taken out with the hope that it never needs to be called in, but society continues to ask whether this is a policy whose benefits should be shared.

About the author:
Dave is the owner of http://www.cord-blood-services.info and http://www.cord-blood-research.info websites providing information on umbilical cord bloo

California

San Diego Centers

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San Diego is a tremendously diverse area. With several large military bases and a collection of internationally know research hospitals, San Diego can also parley its proximity to Los Angeles into a wide network of cord blood donation centers. The San Diego Blood Bank is the largest of all the cord blood donation centers. Parents wanting to privately store their child’s cord blood should consult with their OB and the delivering hospital.

Ashley Ross Cord Blood Program of the San Diego Blood Bank

In December 1950, the San Diego Blood Bank was established through the support of the San Diego County Medical Society. Throughout the years, the San Diego Blood Bank has stayed in the forefront of transfusion medicine, added donor centers and bloodmobiles to cover all of the region’s neighborhoods, diversified the blood bank’s donor base and formed lasting partnerships with organizations from all over the San Diego community.

An independent blood center serving some 50 hospitals in the Southern California Region, the San Diego Blood Bank is a member of America’s Blood Centers, the American Association of Blood Banks, and the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce.

SAN DIEGO BLOOD BANK
440 Upas St.
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 296-6393

Advantages of Donation

Stem Cells Offer Leukaemia Patients Hope

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New technology exists to treat leukemia patients with stem cell technology using cord blood.

The problem is that it’s hard to find a bone marrow match for these patients. But this problem is starting to get fixed by using the blood from a newborn baby.

Also known as ‘cord blood’, this transplant was only used in kids before because scientists thought that the blood didn’t contain enough of the needed stem cells to replenish the circulatory system and thus fight leukemia. They were wrong because a new study by the New England Journal of Medicine says that there IS enough stem cells in cord blood to treat an adult.

This is really great because the study found that this new treatment provides a better success rates then a mismatched marrow type transplant.

More and more research needs to be done. But, all in all…it’s a great step for stem cell technology to incorporate the cord blood stockpiles that are out there to save peoples lives.