Registry reports significant increase in children needing access to their cord blood stem cells
Cord Blood Registry (CBR) announced that – for the second year in a row – a record number of cord blood stem cell collections stored at CBR have been needed for medical use by the individual child from whom they were collected. In 2007, a total of 16 cord blood collections stored at CBR were requested for medical use. Children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, juvenile diabetes and a rare immune system disorder will benefit from their own stem cells.
Blood from the umbilical cord contains a diverse population of stem cells that have shown an ability to differentiate into almost all of the types of cells that comprise the human body. Cord blood stem cells are increasingly being used in treatments for a wide range of diseases and medical conditions to save and enhance lives.
The company also announced that it anticipates this trend to accelerate.
A scientific analysis published last quarter in Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy estimates that as many as 1 in 3 individuals in the U.S. (or 128 million people) could benefit over their lifetime from applications of regenerative medicine – the use of one’s own stem cells to repair or replace damaged or diseased tissue. Research is also continuing to focus on cord blood as a preferred source of stem cells, because they have demonstrated pluripotency – the ability to develop into almost all of the cell types in the body.
Cord Blood Registry® (CBR®) is the world’s largest cord blood stem cell processing and cryopreservation service and offers families guaranteed access to genetically-related stem cells that are viable for potential medical use. CBR was the first family bank accredited by AABB and is the most recommended cord blood bank by obstetricians. To date, CBR has processed and stored cord blood collections for more than 200,000 newborns throughout the world and has released more than 65 client cord blood units for specific therapeutic use – more than any other family cord blood bank. The company’s research and development efforts are focused on helping the world’s leading researchers advance regenerative medical therapies using cord blood stem cells as well as continuing to introduce industry-leading technical innovations for stem cell collection, processing and storage that optimize quality and cell yield. Additionally, CBR facilitates collection of donated samples, available for research programs worldwide that are focused on stem cell expansion and other cord blood stem cell-based therapies.
Article adapted by ProudParenting.com from original press release.