Umbilical cord stem cells provide life-saving treatment for children

Umbilical cord stem cells provide life-saving treatment for children
(ARA) - When expectant parents imagine their children's future, chances are that a rare genetic disorder is not part of that picture. But that was the reality for Andres and Paulina Trevino of Boston. At 2 years old, their son, Andy, was diagnosed with a life-threatening immune disorder. By the age of 5, Andy had been in the hospital for 1,000 days and saw more than 300 doctors to help treat his disease. However, thanks to a treatment Andy received from his sister Sofia's umbilical cord blood stem cells, he is now thriving and healthier than ever. Inspired by his own son's medical journey, Andres penned a book entitled, "Andy & Sofia," documenting his family's personal story with this live-saving treatment.

Emerging scientific research on cord blood stem cells shows promise in filling treatment gaps for many children, like Andy, who face certain life-threatening conditions. Cord blood is a rich source of stem cells, which can become a treatment by repairing and/or replacing damaged cells in the body.

"Studies are finding new medical benefits of these stem cells every day and providing peace of mind to many families who choose to bank their children's cord blood stem cells," says Morey Kraus, chief scientific officer of ViaCord, a private family cord blood bank.

Several private cord blood banks collect and store the stem cells should a child ever need it. The collection is painless for the mother and baby and takes place immediately after birth. An obstetrician or midwife clamps the cord, then through the use of a blood-bag needle, the blood flows into a bag during a two- to four-minute process. After collection, the blood bag is sealed and couriered to a processing facility, where it is stored at a low temperature for preservation.

To date, cord blood stem cells have been used to treat nearly 80 life-threatening diseases, including cancers and leukemia, bone marrow failures, sickle-cell anemia and other genetic and blood disorders. Medical researchers are also exploring its uses for Type-1 diabetes, heart disease, sports injuries and other common, yet incurable conditions. These stem cells are showing more benefits than ever and parents are opting to bank their children's cord blood for its growing potential.

By storing one's cord blood stem cells privately, the individual is guaranteed a match should he or she ever needs a cord blood transplant. For expectant parents interested in storing the stem cells, there are options to bank publicly or privately. Private cord blood banks store the stem cells for the families' own use, while public banks make the stem cells available to any transplant patient who is a donor match.

Family history can also be an important factor to consider when families decide to bank. Certain genetic profiles can make children susceptible to diseases that can be treated with cord blood stem cells. For example, parents carrying the sickle cell trait may have a child who has the disorder and a simple cord blood transfusion can replace the sickled blood cells.

Clinical studies also show that cord blood stem-cell transplants are nearly twice as successful when the stem cells come from a family member rather than from a public donor. For families with a child already facing one of the treatable diseases, ViaCord offers The Sibling Connection Program to provide access to stem cells for treatment. The program collects and stores the child's stem cells at no charge for families who meet the program's eligibility requirements and they can be used for a sibling needing a stem-cell transplant or transfusion.

Cord Blood - Life Saving Out of the Womb

Cord Blood - Life Saving Out of the Womb
So where will you get the stem cells, if God forbid, you are ever in such a situation? Well you can make do with the bone marrow of a family member, if the cells match. ""Umbilical cord blood from newborn babies can be used to produce embryonic-like cells that can potentially treat diseases and debilitating conditions. While not all states have public cord banks, you can ask your hospital whether it accepts cord blood donations for research purposes. There is also another option given by non-profit cord blood banks, of free programs through which one can store umbilical cord blood stem cell samples.

One more cord blood donation might just be enough to save another life. There are certain risks involved in this procedure, however they are minimal. Instead, the stem cells can also be collected from the embryonic and fetal source. ""With every passing day, the science behind the utility of umbilical cord blood is going a step forward.

More information about umbilical cord | Weighing the Pros and Cons of Banking Umbilical Cord Blood and cord blood banking | Storing Your Baby's Umbilical Cord Blood - How Much Does It Cost? url

Similarly, there are individuals who are suffering from cancerous diseases and are constantly searching for stem cell donors, so your baby's cord blood could be donated to them. Collection and storage charges of private banks can be very high and out of reach of many folks. If you can afford to harvest and store your newborns cord blood by all means does so. Thus, it is reasonable to seek alternative sources or an equivalent of stem cells.

More information about umbilical cord blood | Is Storing Cord Blood Worth the Cost? and cord blood banking | Information About Percutaneous Umbilical Cord Blood cord blood

A number of cord blood stem cell therapies are available that can treat 80 different diseases. An unusual container carries the cord blood to the cord blood cache. Before delivery the parents can deposit Rs. It was no less than a miracle that soon the lady became an expectant mother and after nine months delivered a healthy baby girl.

Several facilities offer ""family discounts"" and ""referral fees"" for referring your friends and family to the facility, but in general these benefits only go to offset future annual fees, or to lock in the current prices, not to lower the cost you will have to pay upfront. Flex blood caching is an anodyne and ethical trace of stem groups. But, now private banks are looking forward to expand donated cord blood stem cell, received from twin pregnancies and make use of these in future transplants. All these diseases require radiation therapy or chemotherapy to kill the destructive cells in the body.

CordLife India Launches Advanced Cord Blood Facility to Become the Largest Blood Bank in India

CordLife India Launches Advanced Cord Blood Facility to Become the Largest Blood Bank in India

CordLife India, the largest cord blood bank in India has launched new cord blood bank facility. The Advanced Cord Blood Facility with Quality Assurance from CordLife is a facility which stores umbilical cord blood for future use.

The collection, processing and storage of cord blood banking include immediately clamping and cutting the cord after the delivery of a baby. The caregiver then collects the umbilical cord blood by inserting a needle into the cord vein, and drains the same into a blood bag.

Since their inception, CordLife India has established a quality system and proven track record and has emerged as a reliable cord blood banking services provider. Their capability was recognized when their facility in Singapore became the first private cord blood bank in Southeast Asia to be accredited by AABB, the world's gold standard in private cord blood banking.

The winning expertise from Singapore was transferred to other CordLife facilities in Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong and now to India. Now, it has attained accreditation and certifications from various organizations and regulators that set standard for efficiency and quality in cord blood banking around the world.

CordLife prides on stringent standards and guarantee that baby's cord blood stem cell unit will be screened, processed and stored according to the strictest international quality assurance program. Transplant physicians are more likely to accept an internationally accredited cord blood unit, compared to a unit which is not.

About CordLife India
CordLife India is the largest and most advanced cord blood bank facility in the country, with a storage capacity of up to 150,000 cord blood units. The state-of-the-art laboratory with full processing, testing and cryopreservation capabilities is equipped with continuous power back-up as well as the most-up-to-date security and surveillance systems. Located in Kolkata and officially launched by Singapore Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, CordLife India is licensed by the Drug Controller General of India to collect cord blood units from all Indian states and cities.

CordLife India Launches Advanced Cord Blood Facility to Become the Largest Blood Bank in India

CordLife India Launches Advanced Cord Blood Facility to Become the Largest Blood Bank in India

CordLife India, the largest cord blood bank in India has launched new cord blood bank facility. The Advanced Cord Blood Facility with Quality Assurance from CordLife is a facility which stores umbilical cord blood for future use.

The collection, processing and storage of cord blood banking include immediately clamping and cutting the cord after the delivery of a baby. The caregiver then collects the umbilical cord blood by inserting a needle into the cord vein, and drains the same into a blood bag.

Since their inception, CordLife India has established a quality system and proven track record and has emerged as a reliable cord blood banking services provider. Their capability was recognized when their facility in Singapore became the first private cord blood bank in Southeast Asia to be accredited by AABB, the world's gold standard in private cord blood banking.

The winning expertise from Singapore was transferred to other CordLife facilities in Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong and now to India. Now, it has attained accreditation and certifications from various organizations and regulators that set standard for efficiency and quality in cord blood banking around the world.

CordLife prides on stringent standards and guarantee that baby's cord blood stem cell unit will be screened, processed and stored according to the strictest international quality assurance program. Transplant physicians are more likely to accept an internationally accredited cord blood unit, compared to a unit which is not.

About CordLife India
CordLife India is the largest and most advanced cord blood bank facility in the country, with a storage capacity of up to 150,000 cord blood units. The state-of-the-art laboratory with full processing, testing and cryopreservation capabilities is equipped with continuous power back-up as well as the most-up-to-date security and surveillance systems. Located in Kolkata and officially launched by Singapore Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, CordLife India is licensed by the Drug Controller General of India to collect cord blood units from all Indian states and cities.

Storing Umbilical Cord Blood: A Simple and Easy Process When you first get pregnant, you will receive all types of brochures and pamphlets from your doctor's office. These documents will range from diapers to creating a college saving fund for your unborn child. But, one of the more important items is the information on umbilical cord blood. This blood is rich with stem cells. Now, you may heard and read about stem cells. The cells are amazing in what they can do and what they can cure. Our company finds the job of storing stem cells a wonderful job and we take it very seriously to make sure nothing goes wrong. So, why would you want to store your baby's umbilical cord blood? Can the blood really do anything different than the blood that is in your body? The answer to those questions are yes, the blood in the umbilical cord can do so much more than the blood that is in your body. This blood is known to cure supposed incurable diseases all because certain families had made the smart decision to stored the blood after their child was born. So, by making the decision to store your child's umbilical cord blood today you could be saving their life if they ever get really sick. The process is real quick and easy – and will not take away from the bonding time between you and your baby. Basically, you must sign up on our web site prior to giving birth because there is a collection bag you will need to bring with you when you go to the hospital to give birth. Be sure that your doctor and the hospital is aware of your plans so that they will know what they need to do and have available prior to your arrival. After you have delivered your baby, your doctor will remove the umbilical cord and the placenta from you and your child. The doctor will then follow the detailed instructions on the collection bag to store the umbilical cord blood. This usually takes about five to ten minutes long. The blood will be stored securely at the hospital until it is picked up and brought to us. This is usually occurs within 48 hours of you giving birth. After we receive the cord blood, we will test it for it viability and to determine the cell count. These tests help us determine that the blood will be successful if there ever is a need to a transplant. Remember, the blood can be transplanted in other family members too and these tests will reveal if that would be successful. Once the tests are done, the blood is then frozen and then place in one of our machines. Our company is committed to helping families learn and store their baby's umbilical cord blood. Our procedure is very quick and easy and can help you keep peace of mind that you hold something that can cure some of nature's most incurable diseases. So, sign up today and your family can join the hundreds of other families that store their baby's umbilical cord blood.

Storing Umbilical Cord Blood: A Simple and Easy Process
When you first get pregnant, you will receive all types of brochures and pamphlets from your doctor's office. These documents will range from diapers to creating a college saving fund for your unborn child. But, one of the more important items is the information on umbilical cord blood. This blood is rich with stem cells. Now, you may heard and read about stem cells. The cells are amazing in what they can do and what they can cure. Our company finds the job of storing stem cells a wonderful job and we take it very seriously to make sure nothing goes wrong. So, why would you want to store your baby's umbilical cord blood? Can the blood really do anything different than the blood that is in your body? The answer to those questions are yes, the blood in the umbilical cord can do so much more than the blood that is in your body. This blood is known to cure supposed incurable diseases all because certain families had made the smart decision to stored the blood after their child was born. So, by making the decision to store your child's umbilical cord blood today you could be saving their life if they ever get really sick. The process is real quick and easy – and will not take away from the bonding time between you and your baby. Basically, you must sign up on our web site prior to giving birth because there is a collection bag you will need to bring with you when you go to the hospital to give birth. Be sure that your doctor and the hospital is aware of your plans so that they will know what they need to do and have available prior to your arrival. After you have delivered your baby, your doctor will remove the umbilical cord and the placenta from you and your child. The doctor will then follow the detailed instructions on the collection bag to store the umbilical cord blood. This usually takes about five to ten minutes long. The blood will be stored securely at the hospital until it is picked up and brought to us. This is usually occurs within 48 hours of you giving birth. After we receive the cord blood, we will test it for it viability and to determine the cell count. These tests help us determine that the blood will be successful if there ever is a need to a transplant. Remember, the blood can be transplanted in other family members too and these tests will reveal if that would be successful. Once the tests are done, the blood is then frozen and then place in one of our machines. Our company is committed to helping families learn and store their baby's umbilical cord blood. Our procedure is very quick and easy and can help you keep peace of mind that you hold something that can cure some of nature's most incurable diseases. So, sign up today and your family can join the hundreds of other families that store their baby's umbilical cord blood.

About Cord-Blood Banking

About Cord-Blood Banking
Cord-blood banking basically means collecting and storing the blood from within the umbilical cord (the part of the placenta that delivers nutrients to a fetus) after a baby is born.

Cord blood contains blood-forming stem cells, which are potentially useful for treating diseases that require stem cell transplants (also called bone marrow transplants), such as certain kinds of leukemia or lymphoma, aplastic anemia, severe sickle cell disease, and severe combined immunodeficiency.



There are two types of banks that store cord blood:

Public banks collect donated cord blood for research or for use by anyone who may need it. There is usually no charge associated with this service. After birth, blood is collected, anonymously marked, and sent to a public bank to potentially save the life of another child one day.

If you choose this option and your child or a family member later develops a disease that requires a stem cell transplant for treatment, you won't be able to obtain the donation you made to the bank.
Private banks store cord blood for personal use by the family. There is a fee associated with this service. People who have a family history of disease that can be treated with stem cell transplants sometimes consider this option.

Less commonly, people choose to privately bank their newborn's cord blood on the off chance that someday their child or a sick family member could be treated with it. This practice isn't recommended, however, since the costs associated with it are high and the chances of a family member ever using the cord blood are slim.
Like community or hospital blood banks, cord-blood banks are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has developed standards regulating future cord-blood collection and storage.

Silva Lab Isolates Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood

Silva Lab Isolates Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood

There was nothing unusual about the birth of a baby girl in Sacramento one Friday afternoon late in October, 2012.  This birth was special, however, because just a few hours later both Priscilla Williams (BME & DEB graduate student) and Eduardo Silva (BME & DEB Assistant Professor) were busy isolating stem cells from the baby’s umbilical cord blood. The Silva Lab is one of the first recipients of cord blood from the recently established Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program.

The Silva Lab’s current project will isolate vascular progenitor cells from the cord blood with the premise that they can investigate and develop new strategies to actively direct their homing in vivo. In the near future, Silva’s group will isolate not only vascular progenitor cells but also other progenitor and stem cell populations. For example, in the next couple of months the Silva Lab and Scott Simon’s Lab will collaborate to develop strategies to isolate hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and HSC-containing Lin−Sca-1+c-Kit+ (LSK) from cord blood.

“The ability to isolate and store stem cells within the Biomedical Engineering Department offers not only many new research opportunities for the Silva Lab but also for all the biomedical engineering community,” said Prof. Silva.

The Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program (UCBCP), administered by the UC Davis Health System, is a new statewide public program designed to capture the genetic diversity of Californians through collection of cord blood units (CBUs) for unrelated transplantation. The stem cells in cord blood have been used to treat and cure patients who have various diseases such as blood disorders, cancers such as leukemia, and some immune system disorders. The research done with stem cells can be vital to figuring out the cures and/or treatments for even more diseases.

Upstate breaks ground for umbilical cord blood bank

Upstate breaks ground for umbilical cord blood bank


SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate Medical University will begin construction on a $15 million Upstate Cord Blood Bank that will collect, process and store umbilical cord blood donated by families throughout Central and northern New York to be used by those in need of life-saving medical treatments and for medical research. State Sen. John DeFrancisco played a key role in securing the $15 million funding for the building, enabling Syracuse to have one of the only two public cord blood banks in New York.

Umbilical cord blood is blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after childbirth. It is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells that have the potential of being used in the treatment of dozens of diseases, like cancer and sickle cell.

Upstate President David R. Smith, M.D., heralded the addition of a public cord blood bank in Upstate New York. “The opportunity to bring a public cord blood bank to Upstate New York is significant in so many ways,” he said. “Through the donations of cord blood from families all across our region, we have the ability to save lives through transplantation and further fuel biomedical research that may move us closer to finding breakthroughs for dozens of diseases. Being able to develop this cord blood bank and make it a resource for our greater community, speaks to the very core of the mission of Upstate Medical University.”

The two-story building will be between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet and be located on Upstate’s Community Campus at 4900 Broad Road, Syracuse. Upstate provides obstetric services on the Community Campus, and also is home to the Regional Perinatal Center, which offers advance perinatal care to patients throughout Upstate New York.

The building’s design and construction work and equipment is made possible by a $15 million state grant obtained by DeFrancisco.

“Syracuse now will have one of only 27 public umbilical cord blood banks in the country,” DeFranciso said. “It is an exciting opportunity for Central New York to lead our state by building a facility that can save the lives of children, like Jared Saya and Luca Vassallo. (Saya and Vassallo are area residents who received treatments with umbilical cord blood.)

“Across the country, cord blood stem cells have been used in treating many illnesses including leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, lymphomas, inherited red cell abnormalities and other cancers. Now, doctors in Upstate New York will be able to use the umbilical cord, and its stem cells—that would otherwise be discarded as medical waste—for valuable life-saving treatments and research,” DeFrancisco said.

The state Health Department will develop a program to make expectant mothers and the public more aware of umbilical cord blood banking.

“We appreciate the leadership and vision of Sen. DeFrancisco, who has helped efforts to publicize the benefits of cord blood donation and making the Cord Blood Bank a reality for Central New York,” Smith said.

Designation as a public cord blood bank

The designation of Upstate Cord Blood Bank as a public blood bank is important in that there is no cost to donate and donated cord blood is available to anyone who needs it.

Once donated, the cord blood will be stored in the bank and made available to transplant centers in the United States and throughout the world for patients needing life-saving transplants. The cord blood units will be listed on the Be The Match registry, which maintains a large listing of cord blood units available for transplant. Those units that are not suitable for transplantation will be made available to researchers, both at Upstate Medical University and around the country.

Unlike a public cord blood bank, private banks are for-profit organizations that charge fees to collect, process and store a baby’s umbilical cord blood for the exclusive use for the families who made the donation. Public cord blood banks do not charge fees and make stem cells available for anyone who needs them.

When the Upstate Cord Blood Bank opens, it will be one of only two public cord blood banks in New York. The other is the National Cord Blood Program in Long Island City, N.Y.

The Upstate Cord Blood Bank will operate under strict guidelines and protocols, established by state and federal health organizations, including the state Health Department, the Food and Drug Administration and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.

Upstate will work with hospitals in the Upstate region to develop guidelines and agreements to enable mothers who deliver in this area the ability to donate their cord blood for free. Cord blood that is not donated is discarded as medical waste.

Upstate officials hope the cord blood bank will receive donations from 10,000 births a year. That would represent 50 percent of the approximately 20,000 births in Central New York annually. The Upstate Cord Blood Bank will begin accepting donations once it opens in the fall of 2014.

How is cord blood donated

Once a mother has delivered her baby and after the umbilical cord is cut and clamped, a medical provider will insert a syringe into the umbilical vein that is still attached to the placenta. The process, which takes less than 15 minutes, yields about 3 to 5 ounces of cord blood, which is then sent to a cord blood bank for processing and storage.

Treatments with cord blood

Stem cell transplants from umbilical cord blood, researchers say, may be more suitable for transplants than the more common stem cells taken from bone marrow as treatment for various cancers. Umbilical cord blood has an underdeveloped immune cell system providing less of a chance that the transplanted cells will attack the recipient’s immune system.

Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of forming all different types of blood forming cells in the human body. They are used to treat some cancers, metabolic disorders and immunodeficiency diseases, such as sickle cell anemia. Cord blood is rich in these hematopoietic stem cells.

Research with cord blood

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are valuable to medical research, especially in studies seeking to advance new treatments for cancer. Nearly a dozen Upstate researchers are using stem cells from umbilical cord blood in their research or have expressed an interest in working with them. An available supply of cord blood would enhance and expedite research studies on finding new treatments for various diseases.

Upstate Cord Blood Bank credits: Architect: Francis Cauffman. Engineer: CRB Engineers. Construction Manager: The Pike Company. Project consultants: Nicholas Greco, Ph.D, of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine at Case Western Reserve University; and Karen Snyder, M.Ed, from KLS Consulting & Project Management.

A Planned and Affordable Way to Store Umbilical Cord Stem Blood

A Planned and Affordable Way to Store Umbilical Cord Stem Blood

According to local health officials, a lot of money is charged by private firms for storing umbilical cord stem cells. Reason behind this is lack of inventory publicly available. To overcome the issue, government has decided to set up a government authorized system.

There are four hospitals from Ottawa, Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto each that will be participating in the first ever stem cell treatment in Canada. The Ottawa Hospital will initiate collecting umbilical cord blood for this treatment in Canada's first national public bank, Quebec.

Well, Quebec run its own program by the name of Héma-Quebec, but has decided to collect the samples for the rest of the country as well.

Till now, the bank has been given $48 million by the government. This fund has been raised from different provinces and territories of Canada.

According to information, it will be during the spring season in 2013, when Ottawa will begin with its umbilical cord blood collecting process. Following it, other hospitals will start in 2014.

Umbilical cord blood plays a magical role in safeguarding life. Recently, an eight-year-old Alysha Dykstra, who was diagnosed with severe leukemia four years ago, is now in remission after being given the umbilical cord blood.

Babycell reports spurt in demand to store umbilical cords

As if monsoon discounts and off-season FMCG showers are not enough, a stem cell bank has packaged one such plan for babies that will be born on August 15.

Regenerative Medical Services Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of the Mumbai-based active pharma ingredients manufacturer Satyan Pharmaceuticals P Ltd, said it had seen 25 per cent rise in parents enrolling to store their due-in-August babies' umbilical cord blood cells after it offered earlier this month an 85 per cent cut for Independence Day births.

The average monthly strike rate for RMS's cord blood stem cell banking arm Babycell was 275 enrolments, according to Mr Satyen Sanghavi, Chief Scientist of the family-owned RMS.

Pan-India, “cord blood stem cell banking has an annual growth rate of 230 per cent. Since we started operating in 2009, 2500 people have enrolled with us,” said Mr Sanghavi.

Among Babycell's customers are a vegetable vendor from Vashi, TV artistes, celebrities and companies.

The demand among parents to store their unborn child's umbilical cord cells at birth was only going up, he said, even as the draft guidelines on stem cell research and banking await approval. Started in November 2009, Babycell generates 60 per cent of RMS's turnover — which includes another regenerative stream, that of therapies using adult stem cells.

It was partly this growth of the cord blood stem cell banking that was driving Babycell to new cities and towns. “We are now focussing on the South and East. Although there are three major companies in the South we expect to do 35 per cent of sales from the South by 2012,” Mr Sanghavi said.

Apart from Fortis and boutique child-birth clinic Cradle in Bangalore, Babycell is in talks to tie up with top hospitals for connecting with parents-to-be; and with diagnostic labs which would be collection franchisees in Coimbatore, Kochi, Hyderabad, Patna, Nagpur and Nashik. The samples are screened and stored at the Rs 25-crore Lonavla lab.

Through its technology tie-up with South Korea's Sewon Cellontech, RMS provides cellular therapies that re-grow tissues from adult cells. Mr Sanghavi said hospitals used them to treat burns, wounds, knee joint problems, pain, cosmetic and gynaecological procedures. “There is a huge potential for stem cell therapies that can treat 75 diseases from leukaemia, thalassemia to diabetes and brain injury. It is wrong to say there are too many cord blood banks. In fact, by 2015, there would be 15 registered companies compared to the present seven or eight,” Mr Sanghavi added.

National cord blood bank to launch in Ottawa

National cord blood bank to launch in Ottawa
Ottawa hospital to start collecting stem cells, followed by Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver
CBC News Posted: Nov 5, 2012 6:33 PM ET Last Updated: Nov 5, 2012 7:33 PM ET
Related Stories
National cord blood bank to get $48M
The Ottawa Hospital will be the first of four participating hospitals to start collecting umbilical cord blood for stem cell treatments in Canada's first national public bank.

While Quebec has its own program called Héma-Quebec, this bank for the rest of the country will involve hospitals in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton.

There has been $48 million in government funding from Canada's provinces and territories for the bank.

Ottawa will start collecting umbilical cord blood in the spring of 2013, while the hospitals in other cities will follow suit sometime in 2014.

The national public umbilical cord blood bank is starting with stem cells tested in Ottawa. (CBC)
Recently, families have been paying a lot for private firms to store their own umbilical cord stem cells, according to local health officials, because there has been a lack of inventory publicly available.

For eight-year-old Alysha Dykstra, umbilical cord blood was a life-saver. The Guelph, Ont., resident was diagnosed with severe leukemia four years ago but her cancer is now in remission.

"Had Alysha not had that cord blood, and gone ahead with the [bone marrow] transplant ... we'd be in a very different position right now," said her mother Karen Dykstra.

Stem cells from umbilical cords cause fewer complications and they can be stored in a bank, which makes them a very important tool, according to Dr. Jack Kitts, president and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital.

All the hospitals will collect, test and store the stem cells from their blood banks thanks to bio-archives, which cryogenically store all the blood from donated umbilical cords.

The forthcoming umbilical cord blood bank will be able to hold 8,000 samples and Canadian Blood Services hopes to fill the archives in less than eight years.

Androgen Concentrations in Umbilical Cord Blood and Their Association with Maternal, Fetal and Obstetric Factors

The aim of this study was to measure umbilical blood androgen concentrations in a birth cohort using a highly specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay and assesses the effects of sex, labor, and gestational age on fetal androgen levels at birth. We performed a prospective cohort study of androgen concentrations in mixed arterial and venous umbilical cord serum from 803 unselected singleton pregnancies from a general obstetric population in Western Australia. Total testosterone (TT), Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were extracted from archived cord serum samples and measured using LC-MS/MS. SHBG was measured by ELISA; free testosterone (FT) and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) values were also calculated. Median values for all three androgens were generally lower than previously published values. Levels of TT, FT, BioT, and SHBG were significantly higher in male verses female neonates (P<0.0001), while dehydroepiandrosterone levels were higher in females (P<0.0001). Labor was associated with a significant (~15–26%) decrease in median cord blood TT and FT levels (both sexes combined), but a modest (~16–31%) increase in SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations. TT and FT were significantly negatively correlated with gestational age at delivery, while SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were positively correlated. Antenatal glucocorticoid administration also had a significant effect in the multiple regression models. This is the first study to report umbilical cord androgen levels in a large unselected population of neonates using LC-MS/MS. Our findings suggest that previous studies have over-estimated cord androgen levels, and that fetal, maternal, and obstetric factors influence cord androgen levels differentially. Caution should be exercised when interpreting previously-published data that have not taken all of these factors into account.

Cord Blood America's quarterly profit increases Tools

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BY TIM O'REILEY
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Posted: Aug. 18, 2012 | 2:00 a.m.
Rising revenues in Argentina and lower overhead helped produce a rare quarterly profit at Cord Blood America.

Second-quarter revenues rose 26 percent compared to the same period a year ago, to $1.8 million, with the bulk of the improvement coming from the Biocordcell division in Argentina. Coupled with a one-fourth reduction in overhead, the company produced a net income of $148,000, or zero cents a share, compared to a loss last year of $1 million, or 1 cent a share.

Cord Blood stores umbilical cord blood collected at a child's birth because it is rich in stem cells. The hope is that medical research will discover cures for certain diseases that would use the stem cells, in addition to a few already available, so the stored blood could be used if the child needs it.

The lower overhead, according to the company's quarterly report, came from a companywide effort to cut spending as well as a reduced marketing budget.

For the six months to date, the revenues of $3.4 million were up 16.3 percent, while the loss fell to $1.1 million, or zero cents a share, from $2.8 million, or 4 cents a share.

Doctors Recommend Cord Blood Banking

Many doctors and other healthcare professionals choose to bank their own newborns’ cord blood and tissue simply because they recognize the current and potential benefits. In fact, in the last 20 years, the use of cord blood stem cells has increased more than anyone might have expected. Today, these powerful cells have been used in over 25,000 medical procedures and the number of umbilical cord blood banking benefits may grow in the coming years as medicine evolves.
Banking your children's cord blood and tissue cells, and those of their siblings, is one of the best preventative and protective measures you can take – for today and into the future.

Private Storage of Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord Blood

Cryo-Save (Euronext/AIM: CRYO), the largest stem cell bank in Europe, is very pleased with this positive development. “We expect that the merit of private storage of stem cells will also increase in Europe and that the sometimes unreasonable arguments, which prevent people from storing stem cells in a number of countries, will disappear”, according to CEO Arnoud van Tulder, “combined storage seems to be the way of the future”.

What is the merit of umbilical cord blood?

Umbilical cord blood contains very valuable cells; stem cells which can multiply and grow into cells which can cure serious and sometimes deadly diseases. They are used to combat more than 70 different diseases and research into new applications is continuously increasing; at present, more than 3,000 clinical studies are in progress. The blood and the stem cells are analyzed and processed using advanced technology and subsequently stored in the gas phase of liquid nitrogen. When needed, the cells can be used immediately.

Private versus public storage?

As a parent, you can have the umbilical cord blood with the stem cells of your child stored in the private or family blood bank. The stem cells are then available for later use and guarantee an exact match for the child concerned, and 25% chance that they are also an exact match for a brother or sister. Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of parents already decided to store the stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of their children in a private bank.

When the choice is public storage, the parents decide to make the stem cells available to others. The cells can then be utilized to save the life of another, unknown person, who shows a match with the donor blood. However, the donor parents do not have any guarantee that the stem cells remain available for their own child as well. In addition, it turns out that only 30 to 50% of all donations are indeed stored. The rest is destroyed. You will only get the guarantee that the stem cells are available if your child needs them by storing in a private or family bank.

Cryo-Save goes for combined storage

With more than 130,000 samples stored and activities in more than 38 countries, Cryo-Save is the largest stem cell bank in Europe.

The stem cells are taken from the umbilical cord and umbilical tissue. In Italy, Cryo-Save offers combined storage for both private as well as public use. This offers the guarantee that the blood is available for one’s own child if it is ever needed, but is also available to help others. Pending approval of the authorities, Cryo-Save plans to introduce this “best-of-both worlds” combined-storage service in other countries as well.

Why should parents preserve umbilical blood?

A series questions can arise in pregnancy which is, why really should parents preserve the ? It is costly it is against the ethical groups and many other aspects. Few scientists believe that there can be complication soon after the transplantation. The patient may possibly be affected with the germ, Graft Versus Host Illness (typically recognized as GVHD). The negative use of cord blood cell may vary from mild to severe. The cord blood collected does not cater to an adult as abundant amount of the blood can not be collected through the umbilical cord. Further, it takes a little longer time for the new cells to be generated.

Despite of all facts, it is often advisable to store the umbilical cord blood. This blood is rich in stem cells. The undifferentiated cells which can differentiate into specialized cell varieties are referred to as stem cells. Stem cells can be broadly divided into two parts, embryo stem cells and adult stem cells. Further, there are majorly 3 varieties of stem cells they are Hematopoietic stem cells, Mesenchymal stem cells and Endothelial stem cells. In typical language the stem cells are also recognized as the developing blocks of the body. This umbilical cord blood cell can cure a lot more than 70 sorts of fatal diseases. There has been far more than 4000 in the last ten years. Previously it was believed that bone marrow and the peripheral blood are the only two sources of stem cells. But this recent invention has proved that the blood in the umbilical cord is rich in stem cells to. The stem cells assists to produce white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets too. The moment the baby is born, the cord blood used to be thrown away. But now expecting parents will need to inform the medical centers on the 34th week of the pregnancy. The health centers make all the arrangements to collect the blood. The blood requirements to be collected within 10 minutes from the delivery. At least 75 ml of blood from the umbilical cord is necessary. As soon as the blood is collected soon after testing it, a number of chemical are added to preserve it. Further, the blood may be stored in a public or a private bank, depending on the parent’s option. By preserving the cord blood parent assure a safe life for their children.


transplantation was very first used for a five years old kid. In the year 1988, this child was affected by Fanconi’s anemia. It is when the child’s sibling’s cord blood was employed. Because then the use of the cord blood cell has been began. Apart from offering medical rewards stem cells helps in therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicines. It acts as a medicine for illnesses like Parkinson’s illnesses, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s illnesses, Cancer, Spinal Cord injury, diabetes and several far more. With the support of stem cells few organs and limbs can be developed in labs and then used for transplantation. Several drugs are been tested on the stem cells and not on animals or human testers. Stem cells can detect the power of the drugs and assist to detect the effect of the identical of humans. Stem cells have proved fatal in the study of abnormal birth.

How is cord blood collected?

How is cord blood collected?

The cord blood collection process is simple, safe, and painless. The process usually takes no longer than five minutes. Cord blood collection does not interfere with delivery and is possible with both vaginal and cesarean deliveries. Your health care provider will use either the syringe method or bag method for collecting the blood:

    Syringe method: a syringe is used to draw blood from the umbilical cord shortly after the umbilical cord has been cut. The process is similar to drawing blood for a regular blood test.
    Bag method: the umbilical cord is elevated to drain the blood into a bag.

The syringe or bag should be pre-labeled with a unique number that identifies your baby. Cord blood may only be collected during the first 15 minutes following the birth, and should be processed by the laboratory within 48 hours of collection.

Why would I store my baby’s blood in a cord blood bank?

Why would I store my baby’s blood in a cord blood bank?

The cord blood of your baby is an abundant source of stem cells which are genetically related to your baby and your family. The stem cells are dominant cells in the way that they contribute to the development of all tissues, organs, and systems in the body.

Stem cells are able to transform into other types of cells in the body to create new growth and development. They are the building block of the immune system. The transformation of these cells provides physicians with a way to treat leukemia and some inherited health disorders (More diseases and conditions treated by stem cells). Cord blood stem cells have similar ability to treat disease as bone marrow but with significantly less rejection.

Banking a baby’s blood and stem cells in a cord blood bank is a type of insurance. Ideally, you will not need to access your baby’s stem cells in order to address a medical problem. But using a cord blood bank can provide peace of mind knowing that you have a valuable resource if you need it. The stem cells from your baby’s cord blood may be effective in treating certain diseases or conditions of a parent or sibling.