In order to clearly understand the debate, it helps to know exactly what cord blood is and why it is considered so special. Cord blood is blood that is taken from the umbilical cord of newborn babies immediately after birth. Since the baby is all ready born and no longer needs the cord for nutrients, taking this blood does not hurt either the mother or the child and in fact, if the cord blood is not taken it simply remains in the cord and is disposed of.

Cord blood is considered important because it contains stem cells which are building block of the entire immune system. When people suffer from diseases of the immune system using cord blood could help build up the immune system to help fight the disease.

The Push For Cord Blood Storage

In recent years there pregnant women have been inundated through pamphlets, magazines articles, and other types of media claiming that saving their babies cord blood could save their child or a family member at some future date.

These articles and stories play heavily on a mother’s desire to protect her child and the rest of the family and uses heavy handed tactics to make them feel guilty and less of parent if they don’t pay the $1000 or more initial fee to have this blood taken and stored and then continue to pay $100.00 a year to keep it stored for the future.

What these articles and such produced by private blood banks don’t tell these women is that there is little chance that their family will ever use this cord blood. This is where the heated debate comes in. Doctors across the country compare these private blood banks to snake oil salesmen claiming they pray on pregnant women and couples to turn a profit for something that will never be used.

 How Cord Blood Really Benefits People

The true benefits of cord blood is not in storing it in a private blood bank where you may spend 20 years paying fees for something that will not ever be used, but, in a public bank where this blood may be used by those who desperately need it, when they need it. Many doctors point out that donated cord blood to public blood banks won’t cost the parents a penny.

Because cord blood does not have to be a perfect match to the recipients blood, it is easier for people needing the stem cells to find a match and since these stem cells come from infants whose immune system is not developed at the time, there is less likelihood of the this blood battling against the recipients old blood and causing complications from rejections.

However, due to the lack of cord blood donations in public blood banks, people still remain on waiting lists while cord blood that may match a needy patient sits unused in private blood banks.

To make matters worse, since cord blood collection is still somewhat new, not every hospital is qualified to collect this blood. It is estimated that somewhere between 75 and 90% of parents cannot donate their babies cord blood simply because of where they live.

As more and more conditions are helped by the stem cells in cord blood, and as the demand increases this will change but, change as always is slow. However, the real benefits of cord blood will never truly be realized until there is enough cord blood available for all those who need it.

Private blood banks

In the meantime, private blood banks will continue to frighten expectant parents and collect their fat fees while people who may have benefited from that privately stored cord blood continue to wait and hope for matching cord blood to become available that will benefit them.

While some minute portion of these families may eventually use this privately stored cord blood for the majority of these families they will be out thousands of dollars, and in the end, the cord blood will be of no benefit to anyone.

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Reeve-Irvine Research Center

In Irvine, California at the Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California, Hans Keirstead and a group of colleagues used rats to study the effects of human embryonic stem cell treatment to restore motor skills they lost when they suffered acute damage to the spinal cord tissue. Their focus was on the restoration of the myelin sheath.

They myelin sheath is insulation tissue for neurons and mandatory for the conduction of electrical messages through the nervous system. If you look at the nerves as being similar to an extension cord and the spinal cord as the one that plugs directly into the outlet, when spinal cord injury occurs, it’s similar to slicing away some of the outside insulation on an electrical cord. The electricity never reaches the fixture that needs it for energy. In the case of the spinal column and myelin, the message from the brain to the extremities is lost at the site of the missing myelin.

Working from that information, the team at UC Irvine concluded that if you focused on repairing the sheath, you would restore lost neurological function. Earlier studies by the group showed the body’s own immune stem attacked the myelin and destroyed it after injury to the spinal cord. Initial studies showed that if they used antibodies suppressing that response, the myelin could regenerate and therefore restore the lost functions.

The team at UCI then used a method to encourage the stem cells to develop into oigodendrocyte cells, which are the building blocks necessary for the formation of myelin. In rats given the treatment with stem cells for spinal cord injury, within 7 days after injury, the cells did for the myelin tissue and wrap around the area of damage. After just two months, these injured rats walked. Their counterparts that received no treatment did not.

The scientists wondered whether this treatment could help previously injured victims. They injected the cells into a group of rats 10 months after injury. While the early-stage cells formed mature oligodendrocyte cells in both groups and traveled to the spinal cord, they could not grow because scar tissue filled the neuron cells and inhibited the myelin growth.

Karolinska Institutet

Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Sweden, had similar results. However, they found that there were some problems with the use of stem cells for spinal cord injury. While it restored function, it also increased pain sensitivity in the rats. In order to avoid this, the scientists used a special gene in the stem cells, neurogenin-2 when they developed them in the culture. The hypothesis on the increased pain was that some of the cells developed in to a type of glial cell called astrocytes. These cells tend to cause pain axons to grow in the spinal cord with the secretion of substances that stimulate the development of neuronal cells.

The group also noted that the increased number of oligondendrocyte cells produced by the neurogenin-2 stem carrying stem cells, corresponded to a higher amount of myelin-coated nerves, white material, in the area of the damage.

The team at Karolinska Institutet used fMRI, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, to demonstrate the restoration of the sensory function. This technique, use at the institute’s experimental MRI location has an advantage. If experiments start on humans, the fMRI is one method of comparing results in the human studies.  

Krembil Neuroscience Center

The work at the Krembil Neuroscience Center in Toronto Western Research Institute and the University of Toronto also noted that there was a window critical to the effectiveness of stem cell transplants. They added a combination of immune suppressing drugs and growth factors into the therapy and transplanted stem cells from the brains of adult rats into the crushed spines of injured rats. Over a third of the cells traveled to the area of injury and created tissues like those destroyed at the area, including myelin. As with the California study, the Toronto study showed that the process worked best soon after the injury and failed to work if done too late in the healing process.

Another study called “Activated Spinal Cord Ependymal Stem Cells Rescue Neurological Function” published by Moreno-Manzano, V., Rodríguez-Jiménez, F. J., García-Roselló, M., Laínez, S., Erceg, S., Calvo, M. T., Ronaghi, M., Lloret, M., Planells-Cases, R., Sánchez-Puelles, J. M. and Stojkovic, M. in 2009, shows the stem cells in the spinal cord lining called ependymal stem cells, reverses paralysis that often occurs with spinal cord injury. These cells are multiples higher in those with a spinal cord injury than with healthy subjects.

Once the transplant subject formed a lesion, the use of stem cells was more effective at creating the types of cells necessary for the repair of the area. While the study was an animal study, the information gleaned can help scientist understand the working mechanisms of stem cells and better ways to use them for human spinal cord damage.

DaVinci Biosciences did a cooperative study with Luis Vernaza Hospital in Ecuador showing that therapies using autologous bone marrow derived stem cells, stem cells that later form blood cells removed from the person whom they later benefit, are safe and improve the quality of life of victims who have chronic and acute spinal cord injury.

The study was small. It included only eight people, four with chronic injury and four with acute injuries. The study used several methods to test the quality of life, pain and improvement. The treatment showed no increase in pain and yet showed improvement to the quality of life that ranged from increased sensations to better mobility and bladder control. While the degree of improvement varied in patients, all eight subjects had some improvement.

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Cord Blood Collection Process

Umbilical cord blood is human blood from the placenta and umbilical cord that is rich in stem cells. Cord blood is collected after the umbilical cord has been detached from the newborn, and sometimes used as a source of stem cells for transplantation.

Cord blood can be stored by both public and private cord blood banks. Umbilical cord blood is currently used for marrow replacement in a variety of disorders. Two distinct methods of collection exist for banked umbilical cord blood.

The first method is to collect the blood after the placenta has been delivered. Because blood in the placenta and umbilical cord clots rapidly, ex utero cord blood collection is performed as soon as possible after delivery of the placenta, typically within 10 minutes. The second method is to collect cord blood during the third stage of labor after the baby, but before the placenta is delivered. This method has the possible advantage of the placenta being compressed by the uterus, allowing more blood to be collected. However, in utero cord blood collection takes place in an environment that is inherently subject to a greater risk of contaminating the cord blood during collection.

The training and reporting relationship for the two forms also vary: the after placental delivery method uses collectors trained and employed by the cord blood bank; the utero collections are performed by the delivery room staff, usually the obstetrician or midwife who is responsible for the delivery of the baby and the placenta.

Cord blood collection is performed by trained and responsible healthcare providers. These providers take special courses of educational and practical resources in order to provide effective collection. The most effective and safe methods are used when dealing with the syringes or other containers in order to avoid contamination. Collection has been available for any family since 1995 and is very safe.

By: Ray Lam

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Learn more about 1000
t="_blank">cord blood banks and get a free report on “Stem Cell Treatment – Uncovered” by visiting cordbloodadvice.info, a popular website that provides free cord blood stem cells advice.

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Technorati Tags: umbilical cord blood

Benefits Of Cord Blood Banking

Copyright 2006 Alvin Toh

If you are pregnant, you probably have received information about cord blood banking. This is an opportunity for you to bank your child’s umbilical cord blood. When cord blood is banked, it is stored so that at a later time, it can be used when needed. There are several key reasons why anyone should consider cord blood banking.

Cord blood contains very important cells that can help to grow a healthy immune system for someone who has fallen ill. Not only can this cord blood be used for your child, but for others that have the same type of blood and tissue. Although cord blood banking is expensive when done privately, it can be life saving and this is often the reason to consider it.

Cord blood stem cells can be used to treat diseases and conditions such as leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, anemia, sickle cell disease, inherited red cell abnormality, lymphoma, plasma cell disorder, neuroblastoma and myeloma. Today, there are over 75 different diseases, immune deficiencies and other conditions that are treated with cord blood successfully. With the advancement of stem cell research, there is likely to be more uses for cord blood in the future.

If there is a family medical history or your child has a predisposition to any of these diseases, you should seriously consider cord blood banking. Parents of children of ethnic or racial minorities and children conceived through in vitro fetilization are encouraged to bank cord blood as it is more difficult to find bone marrow match in these cases. Only 50% of people that need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant are likely to find a suitable donor to provide it.

There are two ways to store your baby’s cord blood. If you choose public cord blood banking, your baby’s blood is taken from the umbilical cord, stored cryogenically and can be used by anyone that is in need of it. However, cord blood that is stored in a private bank can only be used for your child or other family members when required.

The cord blood banking process can be costly for a private storage facility, starting at $2000 but the protection that it offers far outweighs the costs. In addition, many families find that this is an ideal way to protect the child as well as other family members from potentially fatal diseases or conditions. The ongoing stem cell r
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esearch for treatment of diseases is promising. Cord blood stem cells offer great potential for treating more auto-immune and degenerative diseases. Banking cord blood can provide medical insurance for your child or other family members now and in the future.

There are still not enough cord blood donations taking place that will provide for the necessary help needed to cure conditions like cancer and leukemia. Yet, with more people considering cord blood banking, whether privately or publicly, it is likely that more miracles can happen. Through better education, more parents will see the true benefits of cord blood banking.

By: Alvin Toh

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Is cord blood the insurance against future diseases? Learn about the miracle of cord blood by visiting www.storingcordblood.com/art-benefits

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Cord Blood Stem Cell Breakthroughs: Cure For Diabetes?

Cord blood, also called placental blood, is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following birth, after the umbilical cord is cut. Generally, this blood is disposed of with the placenta and umbilical cord. There is much controversy regarding the use of stem cell research as it pertains to the use of embryos. However, there have been new scientific breakthroughs in the field of stem cell research using cord blood stem cells from living babies.

A team of South Korean researchers, headed by Prof. Kang Kyung-sun of Seoul National University, has successfully grown pancreatic beta cells from umbilical cord blood stem cells of newborn babies. The stem cells are able to secrete insulin, the hormone necessary for treatment of diabetes. The ability of cord blood stem cells to differentiate, or change into other types of cells in the body is a new discovery that holds great promise for improving the treatment of some of the most common diseases including diabetes. This achievement would be highlighted by The Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, the U.S.-based weekly, that documents breakthrough papers in biotechnology.

Similar breakthroughs have been achieved by scientists throughout the world. Researchers at the University of Newcastle, in Dublin, produced a ‘mini liver’ from cord blood stem cells. The technique will be developed to create a full-sized, fully functioning liver. Tissues from mini-livers will be used to test new drugs. Researchers are hopeful that within five years, pieces of the tissue can be used to repair damaged livers and within 15 years, actual liver transplants may be done using lab-grown livers made from cord blood. This is a significant achievement that can potentially develop treatments for liver diseases.

In a study published by the University of Minnesota, researchers discovered that some umbilical cord blood cells possess similar characteristics to primitive stem cells. According to Walter Low, Ph.D., senior investigator of the study and professor of Neurosurgery and the Stem Cell Institute at the University of Minnesota, this major discovery is crucial to understanding how cord blood stem cells can restore brain function after injury
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such as in stroke. In a laboratory test, cord blood stem cells were transplanted into rodents with controlled strokes. The results: some limb function was restored and the size of brain lesions was reduced. Cord blood stem cells developed into neuron-type cells, similar to those found in the brain. They also stimulated nerve fibers in the brain, thus the regained function in rats. This finding will significantly help advance the development of stroke research.

Stem cell technology has been advancing forward in leaps and bounds. The breakthroughs in cord blood stem cell research can substantially speed up the development of treatments for life-threatening diseases and debilitating conditions. Cord blood stem cell research avoids much of the controversy and problems associated with embryonic stem cell research.

By: Alvin Toh

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Cord blood stem cell transplant is becoming increasingly important for treatment of life-threatening diseases and debilitating conditions. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are less prone to rejection than bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. Get daily updated resources on umbilical cord blood at www.storingcordblood.com/home

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Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…

UM researcher stresses hazards of unregulated stem cell clinics outside the US …

Yet patients are charged large amounts of money for the therapies, based on the promise that bone marrow or umbilical-cord-blood stem cells can cure their …   Read More…

Expo 2010: A tale of two cities

The "shallow strait" described by Yu Kuang-chung, Taiwan's preeminent poet, will no longer sever the umbilical cord connecting the two sides. …   Read More…

Bone Marrow Registry

… dedicated to creating an opportunity for all patients to receive the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need, when they need it. …   Read More…
That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

Technorati Tags: umbilical cord blood

Technorati Tags: umbilical cord blood

If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

Cord Blood America sponsors 2010 Brodie Golf Classic event

Umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company Cord Blood America Inc (OTCBB: CBAI | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating) said on Monday that it will be …   Read More…

Banking on cord blood

Megan Harrington, a cryobiologist at LifeLine Cryogenics, processes umbilical cord blood, separating out the stem cells and eventually putting them into …   Read More…

State looks to establish public cord blood bank

A state mandate that requires health care providers to notify pregnant patients of the option to bank or donate placenta/umbilical cord blood has sparked a …   Read More…
That’s all the news for today guys, so until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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