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Fact Sheet: Cord Blood Stem Cells

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Washington, Aug 4, 2007 | comments

Fact Sheet: Cord Blood Stem Cells

Background

  • Umbilical cords are a rich, non-controversial source of stem cells, but currently hospitals throw millions of them away each year.
  • These stem cells can be matched to patients and have already been used to treat thousands of patients—both children and adults—with more than 70 diseases and conditions.
  • In addition, published studies have shown that stem cells in cord blood have the capacity to become other cell types, which give them the potential to treat many fatal, terminal and debilitating conditions, including spinal cord injury, Parkinson's, diabetes and heart disease.
  • Stem cells in cord blood already are being used to treat non-blood related diseases and conditions including Cerebral Palsy and Krabbe Disease. 

Patients Suffering from the Following Diseases and Disorders Have Been Treated Using Cord Blood:

  • Leukemia
  • Sickle Cell Anemia
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Hodgkin’s Disease (Lymphoma)
  • Hurler Disease
  • Krabbe Disease
  • Osteopetrosis
  • Myelofibrosis

Summary of Smith’s Landmark Cord Blood Stem Cell Law, “The Cord Blood Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005” (P.L. 109-129)

  • Created the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI), a national program to collect 150,000 units of cord blood, focused on genetic diversity, with the goal of meeting the needs of 90% of all patients.
  • Creates a registry to link public cord blood banks so that physicians can perform a nationwide search from their home hospital for a blood or bone marrow match.
     
  • All blood units not suitable for transplant will be donated for research.
  • After the National Bone Marrow Registry authorization expired on September 30, 2003, this law reauthorized an updated program through fiscal year 2010, with $34 million in FY06 and $38 million for each additional year.

National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) Program Status

  • The first contracts to provide for the NCBI’s infrastructure and to reauthorize the National Bone Marrow Registry totaled more than $44 million and were awarded were awarded to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and their affiliates in September 2006.

  • The second set of contracts were awarded to six public cord blood banks across the country to build up their inventories in order to reach the 150,000 new units goal established by the law. These contracts were issued in November 2006 for approximately $12 million to the following banks:

    • M.D. Anderson Cord Blood Bank—Houston, TX

    • Carolinas Cord Blood Bank at Duke—Durham, NC

    • Milstein National Cord Blood Program at New York Blood Center—New York, NY

    • StemCyte, Inc.—Arcadia, CA

    • University of Colorado Cord Blood Bank—Aurora, CO

    • Puget Sound Blood Center—Seattle, WA
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