For what can umbilical cord blood be used?
Umbilical cord blood is extremely valuable because the blood is rich
with stem cells. Stem cells are the basic building blocks of physiological
tissue, and stem cells are ideal for use in research and in disease
treatment because the cells have not yet differentiated into specific
types of tissue. Through normal development, stem cells will become
every type of tissue in the human body. They can also be transformed
into specific types of tissue (for example, neurological or cardiovascular
tissue) in a laboratory.
Umbilical cord blood provides a non-controversial option to embryonic
stem cell research (which, when extracted from a human embryo, kills
that human life.) Stem cells can be culled from the umbilical cord blood
and then cultivated to treat medical ailments. Unlike embryonic stem
cells, umbilical cord blood cells have already been used successfully
to treat such ailments as leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, immune
system disorders, and many more. In one case, umbilical cord blood stem
cells were used to cure three boys with defective immune systems. (Even
though taken from umbilical cord blood, these stem cells are considered
adult stem cells; the term "adult" refers to the age of the
cell, rather than the source.)
Aside from the advances seen already, doctors are also hopeful about
the continued future success with adult stem cells taken from umbilical
cord blood. They hope to one day treat Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes,
muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injuries,
and strokes. Umbilical cord blood research is a way to work toward the
medical advances promised—but not delivered—by embryonic
stem cell research advocates. Cord blood research is a morally responsible
alternative that does not rely on the death of humans.
How is cord blood collected?
Cord blood is collected through a simple procedure that takes less than
five minutes. The collection can be performed after either a vaginal
or cesarean delivery and even for multiple births. The company who stores
the cord blood will provide the delivering doctor with either a syringe
or bag collection kit. Once the baby is born and the cord has been clamped
and cut, the blood is drawn or drained from the umbilical cord before
the cord is discarded. The doctor does not alter the normal birthing
procedures for cord blood collection, and the procedure will not cause
any pain to the mother or the baby.
Stem Cell Therapeutic & Research Act
On December 20, 2005, President Bush signed the Stem Cell Therapeutic
& Research Act, which allocates $79 million to obtain 150,000 more
units of cord blood. Cord blood collection will be combined with the
National Bone Marrow Donor Registry to create the C.W. Bill Young Cell
Transplantation Program—a single source through which doctors
can locate appropriate matches for treatment. The act will also promote
public awareness of donation and seek to collect units from different
ethnic groups so that more patients will find a match.
How can expectant parents donate their baby’s cord blood?
Unfortunately, there are still many states that do not offer donation
facilities. Only some facilities, such as Cryobanks International in
Florida (800-869-8608), will allow potential donors to donate cord blood
from other states. Texas has two donation facilities: one in Houston
and one in San Antonio. In Houston, M.D. Anderson has started a program
with Women’s Hospital of Houston. For more information about donating
at Women’s Hospital, call (713) 563-8000. In San Antonio, the
South Texas Blood and Tissue Center currently accepts donations from
San Antonio hospitals. They also will begin collecting from other hospitals
across Texas very shortly. For more information from the South Texas
Blood and Tissue Center, call (800) 292-5534 (option 8). To find out
which other states provide donation facilities, log onto www.cordblooddonor.org.
Also, the organization Babies for Life (www.BabiesForLife.org), which
is associated with the American Academy of Blood Banks, currently works
with hospitals in Georgia. Pending current Georgia legislation (Newborn
Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative), however, they hope to soon accept
donations from hospitals across the U.S. Babies for Life works to increase
public awareness and increase the availability of cord blood units.
The Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative would require doctors and
midwives to inform parents of the option to donate their baby’s
cord blood. Once these units are donated, they are then made available
to transplant centers through international registries. This cord blood
can be used to treat diseases and hopefully eliminate the desire to
use embryonic stem cells.
