List of USA Public cord blood banks

As you knew, Public cord blood banks accept cord blood donations for free. By donating umbilical cord blood, you have chosen to try to help someone in need of a potentially life-saving transplant.

Public cord blood banks that accept cord blood from anywhere in the U.S.

BioE LLC - St. Paul, Minnesota

BioE collects cord blood donations for basic research on cord blood. This program does not require mothers to register in advance or undergo health screening.

Carolinas Cord Blood Bank - Durham, North Carolina

Carolinas Cord Blood Bank is 1 of 3 banks in the NMDP pilot study of MAIL-IN DONATIONS. Eligible mothers must register by the 34th week of pregnancy and pass a health screening.

Celebration Stem Cell Centre - Gilbert, Arizona

The Celebration Stem Cell Centre (CSCC) began operations in Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix AZ, in Sept. 2010. The bank provides both family storage and public donation of cord blood. CSCC is affiliated with a Translational Research Institute (TRI) that will support projects using cord blood research donations for cardiovascular therapy.

Children's Hospital of Orange County Cord Blood Bank - Orange, California

Children's Hospital of Oakland is famous for offering the nation's first Sibling Donor cord blood program, where families with a child needing transplant could receive free cord blood banking for a new baby.

Cleveland Cord Blood Center - Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Cord Blood Center collects donations from two hospitals in the Cleveland area. Advanced registration is not required. The program operates 24/7, but the lab is not open on Sunday. In addition to the US donation inventory maintained by NMDP, Cleveland CBC also participates in the BMDW international registry of cord blood donations.

Community Blood Services - Allendale, New Jersey

Donors can sign up without pre-registration at those participating hospitals that have on-site staff. Mail-in donations are collected from hospitals via the NuvaCord Network.

Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas - Little Rock, Arkansas

The Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas launched operations in 2011, providing both public donation and family banking services. They hope to collect donations statewide.

CORD:USE - Orlando, Florida

CORD:USE was founded by some of the leading doctors in cord blood transplantation. They offer both public donation and family storage. Public donations collected by CORD:USE are sent to the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, a FACT-accredited program under the direction of Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg. CORD:USE only accepts donations from medical centers where they have trained the staff. The collection may be performed by dedicated personnel or by OB/Gyn's and midwives. CORD:USE training allows staff to either collect cord blood "in utero", prior to delivery of the placenta, or to collect "ex utero", by draining cord blood from the placenta after it has been delivered.

Donor Services of Indiana - Fort Wayne, Indiana

Hospitals that work with Donor Services of Indiana are color-coded primarily as a research donation because they ask all mothers to consent to donate perinatal tissue, while only a small fraction of the births are eligible to donate cord blood to a transplant program. Expectant mothers are approached for consent when they are admitted for labor.

Gift of Life - Boca Raton, Florida

Gift of Life is a non-profit charity that seeks to help Jewish patients find a transplant match. They recruit bone marrow donors and cord blood donations, with their efforts focused on locations with large Jewish populations. Gift of Life operates their own accredited cord blood laboratory that participates in the national NMDP network. In order for their cord blood donations to be listed on the NMDP network, obstetricians who collect for Gift of Life must undergo training and regular proficiency testing.

ITxM: The Institute For Transfusion Medicine - Rosemont, Illinois

The Institute For Transfusion Medicine (ITxM) is the parent company of multiple blood-banking concerns, including two programs collecting cord blood donations from the states IL and PA.

J.P. McCarthy Cord Stem Cell Bank - Detroit, Michigan

The J.P. McCarthy cord blood bank was founded in memory of a morning radio show host in Detroit. It is run by the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

LifebankUSA - Cedar Knolls, New Jersey

This mail-in donation program requires registration at least 4 weeks prior to delivery and mothers must pass a health screening. LifebankUSA and its parent, Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, are the only USA organization doing research on the combined therapeutic potential of stem cells from cord blood plus stem cells from placental blood. They need donations of both cord blood and placentas, to supply their clinical trials that may help patients with the following conditions:

• Crohn's Disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Ischemic Stroke

LifeCord - Gainesville, Florida

LifeCord public cord blood bank is a program of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, developed in cooperation with the University of Florida College of Medicine and the Shands at UF Stem Cell Laboratory. The medical director of LifeCord is Dr. John Wingard, director of the stem cell transplant program at Shands.

Lifeforce Cryobanks - Altamonte Springs , Florida

In 2003 Lifeforce Cryobanks became the first public bank enrolling mothers to mail in donations. Those donations that cannot be accepted for unrelated transplants are either sold for research or discarded. Parent enthusiasm for this program has always exceeded the company's ability to accept donations.

M. D. Anderson Cord Blood Bank - Houston, Texas

M.D. Anderson Cord Blood Bank is 1 of 3 banks in the NMDP pilot study of MAIL-IN DONATIONS. Eligible mothers must register by the 34th week of pregnancy and pass a health screening.

Michigan Community Blood Centers Cord Blood Bank - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Michigan Cord Blood Bank mails the donation kit to the expectant mother but only accepts collections from deliveries at selected hospitals.

Midwest Cord Blood Bank - Indianapolis, Indiana

The Midwest Cord Blood Bank will accept donations from anywhere in the state of Indiana. However, due to medical regulations, they can only list collections for transplant use if they come from hospitals that have an IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval. Donations from other hospitals are stripped of donor identity and designated for research use only.

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NY Blood Center National Cord Blood Program - Long Island City, New York

Collection hospitals for the NY Blood Center do NOT require advance registration: mothers can give a partial consent to collect the cord blood during labor, and only if the collected cord blood is suitable for transplantation will the mothers will be given additional education and asked for a final banking consent post-delivery.

Puget Sound Blood Center - Seattle, Washington

The Puget Sound Blood Center (PSBC) collects cord blood donations directly in Washington state, and also receives donations from collection programs in Oregon and Hawaii.

Saneron CCEL - Tampa, Florida

This mail-in donation program does require advance registration, but it can take place after 35 weeks and almost up to the time of birth, so long as the application is processed in time. The donated cord blood is used in animals for disease research. Parents can earmark their cord blood to be used towards a particular Saneron CCEL research program that they wish to support.

St. Louis Cord Blood Bank - St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis Cord Blood Bank accepts cord blood donations from hospitals within a 150 mile radius, in both Missouri and Illinois.

StemCyte - Covina, California

StemCyte is a global company. StemCyte participates in the US network of public cord blood banks operated by NMDP, plus StemCyte operates the national cord blood bank of Taiwan, whose units are listed with NMDP. The StemCyte lab in Southern California is accredited under the international FACT/Netcord standards, and provides both public donation and family storage for US parents. Note that, under FACT accreditation, cord blood donations can only be accepted at times when there are dedicated collection personnel on duty.

Texas Cord Blood Bank - San Antonio, Texas

Texas Cord Blood Bank at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center is 1 of 3 banks in the NMDP pilot study of MAIL-IN DONATIONS. Eligible mothers must register by the 34th week of pregnancy and pass a health screening. The Texas Cord Blood Bank can only accept donations on weekdays.

University of Arizona Cord Blood Bank - Tucson, Arizona

The University of Arizona has been collecting cord blood donations purely for research from the University of Arizona Medical Center since the 1990's. Researchers at the U. of Arizona seek to develop regenerative medicine therapies that rely upon the stem cells in cord blood.

University of Colorado Cord Blood Bank - Aurora, Colorado

The University of Colorado Cord Blood Bank (UCCBB) is operated by ClinImmune Labs, an academic-based biotechnology company.

University of Iowa Cord Blood Bank - Iowa City, Iowa

The University of Iowa collects cord blood donations specifically for disease research, not transplants.

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Source: http://parentsguidecordblood.org

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FDA Approves stem sell product "DUCORD" from Duke

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Duke University School of Medicine has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to market stem cell product, called DUCORD for use in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with disorders affecting the hematopoietic system that are inherited, acquired, or result from myeloablative treatment.

Hematopoietic stem cells, derived from cord blood and produced in the bone marrow, are able to renew themselves and differentiate into specialized cells. When transplanted in people with lymphoma, leukemia, immune disorders and genetic conditions, these robust cells can establish a life-saving new blood and immune system.

The approval marks a significant achievement for Duke and the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank (CCBB), a not-for-profit, public cord blood bank at the medical school, which has pioneered cord blood transplants for children and adults with cancer, blood disorders and inherited diseases. Only two other cord blood banks in the United States have received FDA approval to market similar stem cell products.

Blood from babies’ umbilical cords, which was once discarded, is rich in hematopoietic stem cells. Joanne Kurtzberg, M.D., director of Duke’s Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, was a trailblazer in their use for transplants and was a founder of the public bank through CCBB. Kurtzberg has remained at the forefront of expanding the use of cord blood for patients with life-threatening diseases.

Prior to receiving the FDA license, CCBB provided more than 1,500 high quality cord blood units throughout the world under an FDA Investigative New Drug application. Currently, all CCBB units are listed on the National Bone Marrow and Donor Program’s “Be the Match” registry, a central database for transplant centers to search and request cord blood units for patients in need of unrelated donors for transplantation.

Reference: http://www.dukehealth.org
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Giuliana and Bill Rancic Decided to Chose to Bank Duke’s Cord Blood

The reality television stars Giuliana and Bill Rancic have written about their decision to privately store their newborn son's umbilical cord blood.

After years of fertility struggles — including unsuccessful attempts at in vitro fertilization and subsequent miscarriage — the couple welcomed Edward Duke via gestational surrogate on Aug. 29.

The Rancics explained that Giuliana's battle with breast cancer and their own struggle with infertility prompted them to prepare for the future.

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The Rancics have partnered with the Cord Blood Registry, a large stem cell bank, to ensure parents become informed about the practice. People notes the Rancics are paid spokespersons for Cord Blood Registry.

Before the birth, the stars of Giuliana & Bill began preparing for their baby boy and were introduced to the benefits of cord blood banking.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

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Enrollment in the Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Stem Cell Service

Enrollment in the Cord Blood and Cord Tissue Stem Cell Service is easy.

• Enroll Online
  The online enrollment process is convenient and simple. Provide us information about yourself and your healthcare provider. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
  
• Enroll by Phone
  Call them at your convenience and in the comfort of your surroundings -- any time of day or night, 24/7. Please provide them with your details so that their Cord Blood Banking Consultant can contact you to arrange for a private consultation.
  
• 
  Print Enrollment Form
  You can also download our enrollment form so that you can fill out offline.

After you enroll you will receive a kit with everything you and your doctors need for a successful cord blood collection. You’ll keep your kit with your prepacked hospital luggage so it will be ready when the big day arrives.

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After your baby is born, your obstetrician or midwife will clamp and cut the cord and then collect the cord blood. The blood will flow into the bag by gravity until it stops. The actual collection typically takes two to four minutes.

After the cord blood has been collected, the blood bag is then clamped, sealed, and clearly labeled for easy identification. Your baby’s cord blood will then be transferred to a processing facility by private medical courier for processing and storage. Collection, processing, and preservation methods vary depending on which cord blood company your family chooses.

Families who bank enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that their baby’s cord blood is available should the need for a medical transplant ever arise.

Cord Blood Foundation recommends that parents select a Family Bank whose laboratory has been inspected and accredited by an accreditation agency specific to cord blood banking, as this provides a degree of quality assurance.

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Cord Blood-Derived Stem Cells : New Therapeutic Option for Brain Disorders

Stem cell technology has the potential to revolutionize medicine, but the revolution has been considerably slower than expected. Government restrictions and ethical dilemmas have put up roadblocks to fast-paced biological research, and even when these roadblocks are absent, controlling the behavior of stem cells (cells that have the ability to form a number of cell types and tissues) in a petri dish has proved tricky to say the least.

Progress steady - Cord blood stem cells can be harvested from the umbilical cord and placenta of a newborn baby and stored for future use, the idea being that they can be used down the road should that baby (or a genetically similar relative) become sick. These stem cells have been used to treat close to 100 blood-based conditions, including several types of leukemia.

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One particular challenge has been to force cord blood stem cells to become anything other than a blood cell. This is because stem cells exist in varying degrees of “stemness”; that is they differ in their ability to form different kinds of tissue or cells. For example, blood stem cells are really good at generating all of the different types of blood cells, but do not generate skin cells. However, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in collaboration with scientists in Barcelona, Spain, have succeeded in coaxing these stem cells to become neurons, a groundbreaking step in the treatment of traumatic brain injury and other neuronal disorders.

When a stem cell divides, the DNA of one cell retains its stem cell identity. The DNA in the second cell, on the other hand, can assume a different identity. The first step in assuming this identity (known as differentiation) generally involves turning on a master-regulator gene that then controls the activity of another gene and another gene and so on until, for example, the cell becomes a neuron. The key to controlling stem cells, therefore, lies in figuring out how to turn on the master-regulator.

In order to turn cord blood cells into neuronal cells, Alessandra Giorgetti and colleagues first manipulated the cells so that they produced an increased amount of a gene called Sox2. They then cultured the cells and analyzed their genetic behavior. What they found was that these manipulated cells were starting to behave like immature neurons: Sox2 was the master-regulator.

The next challenge was to keep the cells on track so that they finished the job of becoming a neuron. Using special conditions the team managed to get the cells to form mature neurons that both extended long nerve-like projections and responded to electrical stimulation in vitro.

The real test, however, was whether or not these cells repopulate a damaged brain. It is one thing to generate a single cell type, and quite another to induce those cells to form a coherent and functional tissue. Giorgetti and her colleagues therefore took the cord blood-derived neuronal cells and transplanted them into immuno-compromised mice (that could not reject the non-mouse graft) and monitored their progress over a period of three months. They found that indeed the cord blood-derived neurons grew and integrated into the mouse brains, and were capable of limited activity.

While it maybe some time before such a treatment reaches the clinic, this work emphasizes the potential of this type of stem cell. With cord blood banking becoming more and more commonplace, and an expansion of the application of cord blood stem cells beyond the treatment of blood disorders, these malleable cells are fast becoming the stars of stem cell research.

By Katie Pratt, PhD

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Video: Cord blood banks growing

More and more hospitals are offering parents the option to bank valuable stem cells from their child's umbilical cord. -->

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New England Cord Blood Bank Using Sepax 2 from Biosafe as their Cord Blood Processing Platform

New England Cord Blood Bank, Inc. (NECBB) is pleased to announce that it now processes its cord blood using the Sepax 2 system from Biosafe. Biosafe is the world leader in stem cell processing, serving stem cell banks, hospitals and research institutes alike with innovative cell processing solutions.

Sepax 2 is a fully automated, mobile, closed capability system that provides the most efficient and consistent processing of umbilical cord blood. The system involves processing of the umbilical cord blood via both its "plasma depletion" method and the "red cell reduction" method. The Sepax system provides the NECBB client with exceptional post-thaw cell viability count. This ensures that your family will have the greatest supply of high quality stem cells available should transplant become necessary. Sepax processes every cord blood unit individually, respecting its biologic specificity and unique cell characteristics.

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NECBB processes and stores lifesaving stem cells for thousands of families worldwide. Cord blood stem cells, obtained from the umbilical cord immediately following birth, are currently used to treat and cure more than 80 diseases. Successful transplants for cancer, anemia and other blood based diseases occur on a regular basis at approved transplant hospitals both domestically and internationally.

Most recently, families have begun to also bank the cord tissue itself. This tissue contains regenerative stem cells that have the potential to repair virtually any tissue in the human body. NECBB is proud to offer the processing of the cord tissue, at no additional cost, when families bank their child's cord blood at NECBB.

Via: http://www.prnewswire.com

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What are clinical trials and how do I find one?

Many patients who receive bone marrow or cord blood transplants (also called BMT) are asked to consider being part of a clinical trial during their treatment.

Although there are many definitions of clinical trials, they are generally considered to be biomedical or health-related research studies in human beings that follow a pre-defined protocol, includes both interventional and observational types of studies. Interventional studies are those in which the research subjects are assigned by the investigator to a treatment or other intervention, and their outcomes are measured. Observational studies are those in which individuals are observed and their outcomes are measured by the investigators.

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Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others by contributing to medical research. All clinical trials have guidelines about who can participate.

If you decide to take part in a clinical trial, you should understand that:

• The treatment being tested may or may not help you. You may get better, you may see no change or you may get worse.
• Your participation helps doctors learn more about the treatment being tested. This knowledge may help many patients in the future. It may not help all the patients who are in the trial.
• Some trials offer experimental treatments that you cannot receive outside the trial. Other trials compare standard treatments that you may be able to receive without being in the trial.
• In a randomized trial, you may receive the treatment being tested or you may receive the standard treatment. You will not know ahead of time which treatment you will receive.

The FDA and the Office of Human Research Protections require that patients give informed consent before joining a clinical trial. Informed consent means that the patient has been told about and understands the possible risks and benefits before agreeing to be in the trial.

You can begin your search for a clinical trial by talking to your doctor. You can also find out about clinical trials using resources on the Internet.

• Transplant-related trials conducted by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP)* or BMT CTN.
• http://www.bmtctn.net - Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) website. BMT CTN sponsors transplant-related clinical trials.
• http://www.clinicaltrials.gov - Database of clinical trials maintained by the National Institutes of Health.
• http://cancertrials.nci.nih.gov - Database of cancer clinical trials maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This website also has information about NCI Cooperative Cancer Centers, where many clinical trials are done.
• http://www.cancertrialshelp.org - Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups website. This site has information about groups that operate clinical trials that include several medical centers working together.

Reference: http://marrow.org
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The Monterey County district attorney sued BioBancUSA

MONTEREY, Calif. (CN) - The Monterey County district attorney sued BioBancUSA, its founder Robert Hayner, and treasurer James Swallow, alleging violations of state Health and Safety and Business and Professions Codes. BioBancUSA offering cryogenic banking of umbilical cord blood and white blood cells.

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The state accuses BioBancUSA of engaging in false advertising by, among other things, advertising state-of-the-art umbilical cord blood and white blood cell cryogenic storage services on its website and enrolling new patients after it had ceased operations.

Despite having no license or medical training, Hayner and Swallow continued caring for the specimens in the BioArchive for nearly a year before transferring them to Family Cord, a blood bank in Southern California, the states says. It says the specimens were transferred on Aug 1, 2011.

It also violated quality control policies established by the American Association of Blood Banks, such as not having enough qualified staff and failing to maintain their specimen storage equipment, the complaint states.

The state seeks $267,500 in civil penalties and $50,000 for the costs of suit, including investigation. It also seeks a permanent injunction forcing the firm to inactivate the BioBancUSA website, and "refrain from reactivating the CordBancUSA.com web site."

Monterey County District Attorney Dean Flippo filed the complaint.

Details info: www.courthousenews.com

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Cord Blood Registry starts groundbreaking autism study

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Cord Blood Registry, or CBR is based in Tucson, AZ is a bank of umbilical cord stem cells harvested at birth. The cells can be used to treat blood disorders, and have shown promise in treating other issues.

"We've taken this leadership role, initiating clinical trials for cerebral palsy, for traumatic brain injury, for hearing loss and now autism. If you do the math at one in 88 kids affected with autism, we have 425,000 children stored here, we expect about one in 5,000 kids banked here in the drawers that you see behind me are impacted by the condition," said Dr. Heather Brown with CBR.

So researchers decided to do something about it. They're starting a study to see if the cells stored at CBR could help autistic children.

"We've been monitoring the research that suggests umbilical cord blood stem cells might aid in the repair of the damaged immune and nervous system," Brown said.

Brown said, potentially, the cells could help with language and behavioral issues in autistic kids and since the study is done on children who have their cord blood stored here, they'll be getting their own umbilical cord blood stem cells.

CBR is still recruiting for this study. If your child has their blood stored there and is autistic, they'd like to hear from you.

Copyright 2012 CBS 5 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved


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Video: How Is Cord Blood Stored?

How Is Cord Blood Stored? -- powered by ehow

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How is Cord Blood Collected?

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Cord blood is the blood left behind in the placenta and umbilical cord after the birth of a baby. It is a rich source of blood-forming stem cells that can be used instead of bone marrow transplants in children. Cord blood research throughout the world continues to explore its potential but there are no guarantees yet that it can prevent or cure the range of disease that some claim it can.

Many parents are beginning to realize the unique opportunity that is offered to them following their baby’s birth. A simple procedure that does not affect mother or baby is used to drain the stem-cell-rich blood from the umbilical cord and placenta after birth. This cord blood can then be banked and could prove vital in years to come.

The collection process is easy and painless, and does not interfere with the delivery or subsequent care for your newborn. After your baby is born, but before the placenta is delivered, your obstetrician or midwife cleans a four- to eight- inch area of umbilical cord with antiseptic solution and inserts the blood bag needle into the umbilical vein. The blood flows into the bag by gravity until it stops, after which the collection is complete. The blood bag is clamped, sealed, and labeled. The collection typically takes two to four minutes. Three tubes of maternal blood are also drawn for testing.

Part of the cord blood donation process includes a review of the mother's health history. Donors must usually be 18 years old or older and in good health. Those who have or are at risk for infectious disease such as HIV/AIDS, or viral hepatitis are not eligible to donate. Mothers should speak with their health care provider when considering donation.

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Factors Considered When Choosing a Private Cord Blood Bank

There are numerous private blood banks throughout the world, however, and the main factors for comparison are generally location, accreditation, and fees. Some of the other factors you might consider include blood cell storage, shipping processes, laboratory testing, and how long the blood bank has been storing blood. You can always request a copy of the contract for potential blood banks you are considering so you can compare details such as consumer rights.

Location

There are many private banks throughout the world, so your cord blood bank comparison should start by determining which banks serve your location. If you choose a blood bank that is close to your selected hospital, then fewer blood cells have a chance to die during transportation. Also, some hospitals have contracts with specific private banks, so you should check if your hospital only collects blood for certain banks.

Length of time in business and reputation

All operating information concerning the business should be available in the information/enrollment packet or online at the business’s website. Check the Better Business Bureau online for any reported problems or complaints from customers. Any reputable facility will want to share its business record and customer approval information with you; this includes a guided tour of their facility if location and time permit.

Financial stability

Make sure the company you select to bank your precious cord blood is financially stable. You don’t want to find out that the company you’ve picked may someday go out of business. All financial and annual reports should be made available to you. Check to see that the business is frequently audited and has shown a positive, consistent record of financial stability.

Licensing and accreditation

Accreditation is another factor to consider in your cord blood bank comparison, if it is applicable in your geographic area. In order for a bank to be accredited, it must pass laboratory inspection by an accreditation agency. In the United States and Canada, a company called AABB will typically inspect the blood banks. In the United Kingdom, accreditation can be done through the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), and in many other countries it is done through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Collection, processing and storage methods

Further factors to consider in your cord blood bank comparison include shipping processes, laboratory testing, and how long the bank has been storing blood. Not all private banks provide transportation to ship your cord blood from the hospital to the bank, so if it is not included, you will have to find your own medical courier. The testing done at the laboratory can vary, so you can check if the bank tests for infectious diseases and if it will reject contaminated blood. Also, you can compare how long a bank has been collecting and storing blood to get an idea of how much experience it has and the stability of the company.

On-site processing or outsourced processing

The fewer hands and locations your cord blood sample has to go through to be tested, processed and stored, the less likely there will be mistakes, confusion and accidents.

Collection kit instructions

All instructions should be easy to read. Many companies accompany their collection kit with an educational video demonstrating the collection procedure. Also check to see that a 24/7 cord blood educator or support staff is available in the event there are any questions or procedural issues that need to be answered or addressed.

Staff availability

The company you select should have a support staff or cord blood educator available 24/7 in the event you have additional questions before, during or after the delivery of your baby.

Collection return

It’s mandatory that the company you select has an efficient, reliable courier or delivery service that provides timely return of your cord blood sample for testing, processing and storage.

Payment plans

Depending on your financial situation, the cost of the private bank might be of concern. Many private banks offer flexible payment plans and financial options that could make privately banking your baby’s cord affordable for you. Request that a completely printed explanation be sent to you of all expected charges for your cord blood banking.

Copy of the contract

You should request a copy of the contract for any blood banks you are considering so you can compare details such as consumer rights. The contract should explain what will happen if the company goes out of business, your storage fees are not paid, or your cord blood gets lost. It should also explain the privacy policies of the blood bank. Thoroughly reading private banks’ contracts will allow you to do a detailed cord blood bank comparison before signing one.

Reference:

• www.womens-health.co.uk
• www.wisegeek.com

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Cord Blood Transplant Procedure

There are several steps in the cord blood transplant process. The steps are much the same, no matter what type of transplant you are going to have.

The cord blood transplant procedure is performed one to two days after preparation for the transplant has been completed.

You will first be evaluated to find out if you are eligible for a transplant. Also known as "Day Zero," it is common for the patient to feel fatigued and to still be experiencing symptoms of the preparatory regimen. Also Many different medical tests may be done, and questions will be asked to try to find out how well you can handle the transplant process.

If the stem cells being used for the cord blood transplant procedure are from an adult donor, the donation will be completed on the day of the transplant. However, if umbilical cord stem cells are being used, they will be transferred to the transplant center prior to the transplant procedure.

Stem cells are stored in blood bags and their appearance (color and fluid amount) will vary depending on whether the cells are derived from bone marrow, umbilical cord or peripheral blood, and whether or not the cells have been filtered.

During the transplant procedure, the cells are infused (transmitted into the body) using an IV line, similar to a blood transfusion process. This is usually fed through a central line - that is, a tube surgically implanted into the vein in the chest.

The transplant procedure usually lasts one hour and is generally painless. A nurse monitors the patient's pulse as well as blood pressure. During the procedure, the patient is awake, but a mild sedative might be administered.

After the transplant, the donated cells move through the bloodstream and settle in the bone marrow. They begin to produce red and white blood cells as well as platelets, a procedure that is known as engraftment.

After engraftment occurs, the patient's blood cell count will continue to rise, resulting in increased immune system strength. However, the patient's immune system will be weaker than average for several months following a cord blood transplant.

While still in the hospital, the patient's body temperature will be taken four times a day, as fever is an indicator of infection. The patient will usually be given antibiotics and will be monitored for pneumonia. Blood tests will also be performed in order to evaluate the patient's recovery and monitor potential complications.

After leaving the hospital, the patient should follow certain special care instructions in order to ensure proper recovery. This is because the individual is more prone to infection at this time.

Your transplant team is still available to help you. It is important that you talk to them about any problems you are having – they can help you get the support you need to manage the changes that you are going through.

Reference: www.pregnancy-info.net

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Choosing A Cord Blood Bank in Canada

Cord blood banking in Canada is primarily conducted by private cord blood banks, which require payment in order to store a child's cord blood stem cells. Recently, however, the government has launched an initiative that will fund the creation of a national public cord blood bank.

In Canada, Health Canada inspects facilities to determine whether the cord blood bank meets specific requirements set forth by the federal government. As U.S. cord blood banks will have different quality standards, it is recommended that Canadians should use a cord blood bank that is based in Canada.

As most U.S. cord blood banks advertise in Canada, the expectant parents should take care to ensure that the facility performing the procedure is based in Canada, and that they are not simply making a call to the U.S. or to a branch office of a U.S. company.

AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) , the largest international accreditation body for hematology labs, including blood banks and cord blood banks inspects and accredits cord blood banks that have met their stringent standards. It is recommended that parents only choose from AABB accredited cord blood banks .

Cord blood banks require the expertise of Ph.D. scientists and M.D. physicians. By law, an AABB accredited facility will meet such requirements.

Important not to rely too much upon a list of names as part of a "board of advisors", or as directors, but typically, these are only individuals who lend their name in exchange for an honorarium, and do not contribute to the quality of the cord blood bank itself., but to focus on the merits of the company and the information provided on the site itself as an indicator of the quality of the company. There will typically also be more variability in quality in U.S. facilities, and again, Canadian parents are advised to bank within the border.

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Everything You Need to Know about Stem Cells

Get the facts about stem cells: what they are, where they come from, and why some stem cells are controversial. Find out what different types of stem cells exist.

Stem cells are undifferentiated or 'blank' cells found in the human body that have the potential to develop into many different cell types that carry out different functions. They are capable of developing into any of several types of cell, such as blood cells, bone cells, nerve cells, skin cells, etc. The definition of a stem cell is a cell with ability to reproduce itself indefinitely. Fully differentiated cells (non-stem cells) either cannot reproduce or can only reproduce a certain number of times.

Many different terms are used to describe various types of stem cells, often based on where in the body or what stage in development they come from. You may have heard the following terms:

• Adult Stem Cells or Tissue-specific Stem Cells
  Many adult tissues contain stem cells that can replace cells that die or restore tissue after injury. Adult stem cells are tissue-specific, meaning they are found in a given tissue in our bodies and generate the mature cell types within that particular tissue or organ. 
• Fetal Stem Cells
  Fetal stem cells - are taken from the germline tissues that will make up the gonads of aborted fetuses. Like adult stem cells, fetal stem cells are generally tissue-specific, and generate the mature cell types within the particular tissue or organ in which they are found.
• Cord Blood Stem Cells
  At birth the blood in the umbilical cord is rich in blood-forming stem cells. The applications of cord blood are similar to those of adult bone marrow and are currently used to treat diseases and conditions of the blood or to restore the blood system after treatment for specific cancers. Like the stem cells in adult bone marrow, cord blood stem cells are tissue-specific.
• Embryonic Stem Cells
  Embryonic stem cells are derived from very early embryos and can in theory give rise to all cell types in the body. However, coaxing these cells to become a particular cell type in the laboratory is not trivial. Furthermore, embryonic stem cells carry the risk of transforming into cancerous tissue after transplantation. To be used in cell transplant treatments the cells will most likely need to be directed into a more mature cell type, both to be therapeutically effective and to minimize risk that cancers develop. While these cells are already helping us better understand diseases and hold enormous promise for future therapies, there are currently no treatments using embryonic stem cells accepted by the medical community.
• Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS cells)
  An induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell is a cell taken from any tissue from a child or adult that has been genetically modified to behave like an embryonic stem cell. As the name implies, these cells are pluripotent, which means that they have the ability to form all adult cell types.

Our bodies use different types of tissue-specific stem cells to fit a particular purpose. Tissue-specific stem cells are limited in their potential and largely make the cell types found in the tissue from which they are derived. Thus, it is unlikely that a single cell type could be used to treat a multitude of unrelated diseases that involve different tissues or organs. 

Be wary of clinics that offer treatments with stem cells that originate from a part of the body that is different from the part being treated.

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Unfavorable Aspects of Cord Blood Transplants from Unrelated Donors..!

A cord blood transplant may give the patient one of the rare genetic diseases of the blood or immune system. Families who donate cord blood are asked about their ethnic background and family history of genetic diseases. Cord blood is tested for common genetic diseases such as sickle cell anemia. And we obtain information about diseases that may be found in the infant before he or she is sent home after birth. However, some genetic diseases may not be apparent in the child for months or years and will not be found or even suspected by current screening methods. At present, it is also not possible to test for all of these rare diseases. Thus, there is a chance that a cord blood transplant may transmit to a patient a rare serious genetic disease that was not recognized beforehand.

The main disadvantage of cord blood is that the volume collected is fixed and relatively small. Therefore, the number of stem cells available for transplantation is low compared to the number of cells that can be collected in customizable bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell harvests.

The average total nucleated cell dose (number of nucleated cells per kilogram of the patient's weight) in a cord blood graft, for example, is less than about 1/10th that of the average bone marrow graft. As a consequence, engraftment (the return of nucleated blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) to the patient’s blood is slower with cord blood than with bone marrow transplants. Cord blood transplant patients, therefore, may be more vulnerable to infection in the first two to three months after their transplant. This problem is greatest for adolescents and adults because they require a relatively large number of cells.

Another disadvantage of cord blood is that the donor cells come from a newborn infant that will not be available for an additional donation of cells or bone marrow. In bone marrow transplants, on the other hand, the donor may be asked to make a donation of white blood cells (T-lymphocytes or T-cells) to help fight a recurrence of leukemia or development of lymphoma. Or a second marrow donation might be needed if the first one fails to engraft.

T-cell donations and second transplants from the same donor are not available with cord blood. Another cord blood unit from a different donor would have to be given if the first one fails.

Source: www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org

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New Integrated Distribution Strategy for Cord Blood Products in Western Europe

ThermoGenesis Corp., a leading supplier of enabling technologies for the processing, storage and administration of cell therapies, announced today a new integrated distribution agreement in Europe with Concessus for its cord blood products--the AXP(R) AutoXpress(R) (AXP) System and BioArchive(R) System.

The AXP System is a proprietary family of automated devices with companion sterile blood processing disposables for harvesting cord blood stem cells in closed systems and the BioArchive System is an automated robotic device for cryopreserving and archiving cord blood stem cell units for transplant.

Under the four-year agreement, Concessus will distribute both the AXP and BioArchive in the following countries: France, Spain, Switzerland, Benelux, Liechtenstein and Nordic countries (excluding Iceland). Concessus, which has been distributing the BioArchive since 2010, is a nearly 50-year-old Lisbon-based company that has been involved in the cord blood market for more than two decades. Concessus specializes in equipment for the healthcare diagnostic laboratory and research markets, with a strong focus on key markets in Western Europe.

GE Healthcare, which had been distributing the AXP in these markets, will continue to distribute the offering in the U.S. and Canada.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com

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How and Where to Donate Your Baby’s Cord Blood

Cord blood stem cells have been successfully used in transplant medicine. Cord blood has been used to treat many life-threatening diseases including leukemia, other cancers, blood disorders, metabolic disorders, and immune diseases.

Cord blood also is being used in regenerative medicine research, where stem cells are being evaluated for their ability to induce healing and regenerate cells to repair tissues. Clinical trials are evaluating a child's own cord blood stem cell infusions as experimental therapies to treat cerebral palsy, brain injury, juvenile diabetes, and acquired hearing loss.

Donating your baby’s umbilical cord blood to a public cord blood bank can give hope to someone in need. To protect the health of patients who may receive donated cord blood, only cord blood units that meet our strict quality standards will be stored and listed on the Be The Match Registry for patients in need of a transplant.

How to Donate Cord Blood

Get started by finding out whether the hospital where you plan to deliver your baby collects cord blood for public donation.

Look up your state on a searchable map of donation locations provided by the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation.

If your hospital is listed, contact the public cord blood bank that works with your hospital for more information. (A few hospitals allow mothers to enroll at the last minute when they arrive for labor, but most programs require advance enrollment.)

If your hospital doesn't collect cord blood on site, you can still donate by enrolling in a mail-in donation program. The Parent's Guide to Cord Blood provides a map and list of public banks that accept mail-in donations of cord blood.

Pick a bank from the list, contact the bank, and the bank will lead you through the process. The first step is for the mother to enroll and receive a collection kit. Her healthcare provider (who can be a midwife or doula) is then required to take training on the use of the kit. After the cord blood is collected, the kit is shipped to the bank.

Most public cord blood banks and hospitals need several weeks before your baby arrives to check your health history and eligibility to donate, so you should enroll before week 36 of pregnancy. You'll also want to discuss your desire to collect and donate your baby's cord blood with your healthcare provider, and make sure your provider knows how to collect cord blood.

Public cord blood banks also evaluate the history or risk of sexually transmitted infections and the circumstances and timing of ear, skin, and body piercings.

Collect your baby's umbilical cord blood

Your healthcare providers collect your baby's umbilical cord blood shortly after your delivery. The umbilical cord is clamped and cut. Then the blood is drained from the cord and placenta into a storage bag or vials, using gravity or a syringe.

Cord blood units donated to public cord banks are collected under strict quality standards to provide the best possible results for transplant patients. After the blood is collected, it's sent to the cord blood bank for testing and storage. (Cord blood units that are stored privately cannot later be transferred into the Be the Match Registry for public use.)

After that, A lab runs tests on the cord blood, If the cord blood doesn't meet transplant standards, it will be used for research or discarded. If the cord blood does meet transplant standards, it's stored in a cryogenic nitrogen freezer at a cord blood bank and made available to patients needing transplants.

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Missing Link Between Stem Cells, Immune System..!

According to article in MedicalXpress, UCLA researchers have discovered a type of cell that is the "missing link" between bone marrow stem cells and all the cells of the human immune system, a finding that will lead to a greater understanding of how a healthy immune system is produced and how disease can lead to poor immune function.

Understanding the process of normal blood formation in human adults is a crucial step in shedding light on what goes wrong during the process that results in leukemias, or cancers of the blood.

The studies were done using human bone marrow, which contains all the stem cells that produce blood during postnatal life.

The research team was "intrigued to find this particular bone marrow cell because it opens up a lot of new possibilities in terms of understanding how human immunity is produced from stem cells throughout life."

Before this study, researchers had a fairly good idea of how to find and study the blood stem cells of the bone marrow. The stem cells live forever, reproduce themselves and give rise to all the cells of the blood. In the process, the stem cells divide and produce intermediate stages of development called progenitors, which make various blood lineages like red blood cells or platelets. Crooks was most interested in the creation of the progenitors that form the entire immune system, which consists of many different cells called lymphocytes, each with a specialized function to fight infection.

Previous work had found a fairly mature type of lymphocyte progenitor with a limited ability to differentiate, but the new work describes a more primitive type of progenitor primed to produce the entire immune system,

Once the lymphoid primed progenitor had been identified, Crooks and her team studied how gene expression changed during the earliest stages of its production from stem cells.

Read more at: MedicalXpress

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Bone Marrow Transplant or Cord Blood Transplant as a Treatment

A bone marrow transplant (also called a BMT) or umbilical cord blood transplant replaces diseased blood-forming cells with healthy cells. Diseases that may be treated with a bone marrow or cord blood transplant include:

• Leukemias and lymphomas
• Multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders
• Severe aplastic anemia and other marrow failure states
• Sickle cell disease and thalassemia
• Inherited immune system disorders, such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
• Inherited metabolic disorders, such as Hurler's syndrome and leukodystrophies
• Myelodysplastic syndromes

The healthy cells for a transplant can come from three sources:

• Bone marrow
• Peripheral (circulating) blood that has an increased number of healthy blood-forming cells (also called peripheral blood stem cells or PBSC)
• Umbilical cord blood that is collected after a baby is born

If you need a transplant, your doctor will choose the source of the cells. Your doctor will also decide whether to use cells collected from you or another person.

• An autologous transplant uses cells collected from your body.
• An allogeneic transplant uses cells donated from a family member or an unrelated marrow donor or umbilical cord blood unit.

Your doctor decides on the cells used for transplant based on your disease, other treatments you have had, and your overall health.

When a bone marrow or cord blood transplant is being considered as a treatment option, it is helpful to understand the transplant process.

Your Doctor Searches for a Marrow Donor or Cord Blood Unit

If you need an allogeneic transplant, your doctor will look for a marrow donor or cord blood unit that matches your HLA tissue type. HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen, a marker your immune system uses to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not.

If a donor is not found in your family, your doctor can search for an unrelated donor or cord blood unit through the registry of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, also called the Be The Match Registry®. The registry is a listing of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units.

The registry is operated under Federal contracts by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP). The NMDP has agreements with its global partners that provide access to more than 18.5 million potential marrow donors and more than 590,000 cord blood units.

Your Body is Prepared for a Transplant

Before your body can receive the healthy cells, the diseased cells must be destroyed. This is done using chemotherapy and sometimes radiation. The destruction of diseased cells is called a preparative regimen or a conditioning regimen.

You Receive the Cells for the Transplant

On the day of transplant, the cells from the marrow donor or cord blood unit are infused intravenously (go into your body through a large vein). These healthy cells move into the spaces inside your bones where they create new marrow. They grow and make healthy new red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Reference: http://bloodcell.transplant.hrsa.gov

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Robin Roberts Prepares for her Bone Marrow Transplant

(Photo provided courtesy of Good Morning America) - Business Wire

Heraldonline.com - ABC’s “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts prepares for her bone marrow transplant, fans can show their support by purchasing a “Prayer for Protection” wristband.

The multi-colored wristband carries Roberts’ initials (RRR) and the words “Light, Love, Power, Presence”, representing the Prayer for Protection that Roberts’ mother taught her years ago.

The wristband was designed by friends of Roberts after she received her diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a blood disorder formerly known as pre-leukemia. On June 11, 2012, Roberts announced her diagnosis on national television, and that her best hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant from her sister, Sally-Ann. The bright spring colors of the bracelet symbolize the rebirth her bone marrow transplant will bring.

Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 29, supporters can purchase packs of five wristbands for $5 at ShopBeTheMatch.org. One hundred percent of the net proceeds from each purchase at ShopBeTheMatch.org directly support the Be The Match mission to save lives.

News of Roberts’ diagnosis triggered an outpouring of support from across the nation and around the world. Since Roberts’ announcement three months ago, more than 36,000 people have joined the Be The Match Registry, greatly exceeding Be The Match’s monthly average by more than 50%.

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How Much Does Cord Blood Banking Cost?

Cord blood, which is harvested from the umbilical cord right after a baby is born, is marketed as a treatment for diseases such as leukemia and sickle cell disease, and as a potential source of cells for regenerative medicine – a cutting-edge field of medicine studying how to repair tissues damaged by everything from heart disease to cerebral palsy.

In previous articles we say that,Cord blood can be banked 2 ways – in public banks for use by anyone in need whose cell type is a match, and in private banks where it is only available to the family of the child who donated.

Talking about costs, Public cord blood banking is free while collection and storage costs at private cord blood banks are high. Private cord blood banking costs $2,000 to $3,000 for the initial fee, and around another $100 per year for storage.

It is common for storage facilities to offer prepaid plans at a discount and payment plans to help make the initial storage a more attractive option for you and your family.

List of Private Cord Blood Banks in the United States

The comparison table below is a complete list of private cord blood banks in the United States. The table shows cord blood cost as well as other important information to consider when choosing a cord blood bank for you and your family.

Company	Accreditation	Total 1st Year Costs	Annual Storage Fee
AlphaCord	AABB	$890*	$115
AssureImmune	None	$1,975	$150
CorCell (Cord Blood America)	AABB	Unavail.	Unavail.
Cord Blood Registry	AABB	$2,195	$125
Cord Blood Solutions	AABB	$1,795	$125
Lifeforce Cryobanks	AABB	$1,399	$120
CryoCell International	AABB	$1,720	$125
DomaniCell	None	Unavail.	Unavail.
Elie Katz	AABB	$1,770	$120
FamilyCord	AABB	$1,975	$125
HemaStem	AABB	$1,700	$130
LifeBankUSA	AABB	$1,900	$125
LifeLine Cryogenics	AABB	$1,350	$115
LifeSource	None	Unavail.	Unavail.
M.A.Z.E. Labs	AABB	$2,010	Free
NeoCells	None	$1,295 + Shipping	$115
New England Cord Blood Bank	AABB	$1,975	$125
PacifiCord	CB, AABB	$2,450	$150
Regenerative Medicine Institute (RMI)	Unavil.	Unavail.	Unavail.
StemCyte	AABB, FACT	$2,125	$125
Stork Medical	AABB	$1,700	$108
The Genesis Bank	AABB	$1,275	$125
Utah Cord Bank	None	$1,025	$85
ViaCord	AABB	$2,250	$125
Xytex Cord Blood Bank	AABB in progress	$1,525	$100

*AlphaCord has multiple labs and thus cost varies based on the lab. Total first year costs are between $890 - $1,510 depending upon the lab chosen.

Source: http://www.bankingcordblood.org

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