Cord Blood Registry Provides No-cost Storage of Related Stem Cells
SAN BRUNO, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Pregnant women who have a child
or family member fighting cancer, leukemia, or sickle cell anemia have a free
medical service available that can help save a life. Cord Blood Registry, the
leading provider of cord blood banking services, offers stem cell storage
-- at no cost -- to families dealing with life-threatening illnesses.
The most recent recipient of this lifesaving service, dubbed the
Designated Transplant Program (DTP), is eight-year-old Haley Knutsen of
Gilbert, Arizona. Haley has been battling leukemia since age two, but earlier
this month, the DTP enabled her to receive the best treatment option -- a
transplant of her newborn sibling's cord blood. Her physician and family hope
that she may soon be cured.
Doctors use stem cells, like those found in cord blood, to treat over
75 serious conditions including sickle cell anemia and acute and chronic
leukemia. Haley's brother, Jayce had his cord blood collected when he was
born, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored. It was then thawed for use in
Haley's transplant earlier this month. Transplants using cord blood stem cells
from a genetic relative have been shown to provide more than double the
survival rate when compared to unrelated donor cord blood transplants.
The DTP is available to expectant parents who have a child or other family
member who has been diagnosed with a disease that may require a stem cell
transplant. The newborn's cord blood is collected in a risk-free, painless
procedure immediately following birth. Cord blood is routinely discarded with
the placenta, but a growing number of doctors and consumers are advocates of
cord blood banking.
"Cord Blood Registry recognizes the medical value and importance of
related stem cells, and we are committed to saving lives," says Tom Moore, CEO
and founder of Cord Blood Registry. "To date, we have facilitated cord blood
storage for over 1,000 families through the DTP. We also direct significant
resources to help make sure expectant mothers and physicians are aware of this
program."
The Knutsen family, along with Haley's doctor Michael Graham, M.D.,
director of pediatric bone marrow transplantation at the University Medical
Center in Tucson, Arizona, appeared on CBS's The Early Show on July 23, 2004,
to talk about the benefits of having her brother's cord blood available.
"What is notable this time is that Haley has suffered far fewer side
effects, that it's a much milder transplant to go through," said Dr. Graham.
"And that's part of the excitement of being able to do it from a related
donor."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/23/earlyshow/health/main631412.shtml
To learn more about family cord blood banking or Cord Blood Registry's
Designated Transplant Program, visit http://www.cordblood.com or call
1-888-CORD BLOOD.
About Cord Blood Registry
Cord Blood Registry is the leader in cord blood stem cell processing and
cryopreservation for familial use in transplantation and regenerative
medicine. The cord blood stem cells preserved by CBR are collected immediately
after the birth of a newborn and are then available to be used in treatments
for the newborn, siblings, and any compatible genetic family member. Once
transplanted, the cells have the ability to repair damaged or diseased tissues
with little risk of rejection and increased long-term survival. CBR's unique
storage system protects each unit from potential cross-contamination over
extended periods of time. The company's research and development is focused on
collection, processing, and storage improvement to optimize cell yield.
Additionally, CBR facilitates collection of donated research samples to
provide a cellular resource for the nearly 200 research programs worldwide
that are focused on stem cell expansion and cell-based therapies. Current stem
cell research includes treatment of injuries and diseases of the central
nervous system such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, as well as heart
disease, and liver and pancreas diseases and injury. CBR was the first cord
blood bank to be accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks in 1998
and has successfully provided more than 30 viable samples for use in
lifesaving medical treatments. For more information visit
http://www.cordblood.com , or call 1-888-CORD BLOOD. Cord Blood Registry is a
registered trademark of Cbr Systems, Inc.
SOURCE Cbr Systems, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.cordblood.com
CONTACT:
Cord Blood Registry, 800-588-6377, ext. 239,
or rkennen@cordblood.com
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