Year 2000 witnessed the technologies of reproductive medicine combining
with umbilical cord blood stem cell banking and transplantation for the first
time. The result was a lifesaving procedure for six-year-old Molly Nash, and
yet another case to add to the continuously increasing body of data
substantiating the value of familial cord blood banking.
What: Cord Blood Registry (CBR), the nation's largest family cord blood
bank, will be providing information to reproductive medicine professionals at
The 56th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine
(ASRM). Cord Blood Registry is educating IVF physicians about the Designated
Transplant Program -- a free cord blood banking program for families like the
Nashes.
Resources will be available concerning the success with cord blood
transplants, the high survival using sibling cord blood, and the benefits of
cryopreserving their IVF patient's newborn's cord blood stem cells for
potential need in the future.
Why: Recent news of The Nash Family highlights the promising benefits of
umbilical cord blood banking and transplantation -- particularly when used
between siblings. It is important for every family like the Nashes to be
aware of cord blood banking, and the Designated Transplant Program available
through CBR.
The Case: Molly received an umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant for
a genetic disease called Fanconi Anemia. The cord blood came from her baby
brother, Adam Nash, who was a test-tube baby, chosen because he was free of
the disease and was an exact match for Molly's blood type. Because survival
rates are so much higher in transplants using a siblings cord blood (85% vs.
only 42% with unrelated cord blood), Molly's doctor chose to wait 9 months to
use the cord blood, instead of immediately treating her with unrelated donor
stem cells.
Thousands of families are banking their newborn's cord blood as a type of
"biological insurance," in case a disease should strike their child or
siblings. This ensures the stem cells are readily available and when the cells
are from family members, can potentially double the survival rate for certain
diseases. Genetically related cord blood stem cells also pose less stringent
matching than bone marrow and appear to cause fewer complications during
transplantation.
On Wednesday, October 18, 2000, Molly's transplant physician,
Dr. John Wagner of the University of Minnesota said, "The infused (cord blood)
cells are taking over the functions of Molly's bone marrow ... we have a
success."
When: Monday, October 23 - Wednesday, October 25, 2000
Where: San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive,
San Diego, California
BOOTH # 1038 -- Representatives and press materials will be
available
For more information contact Stephen M. Grant, VP, Corporate
Communications, at Cord Blood Registry, 800-588-6377, Ext. 235, via email at
sgrant@cordblood.com, and on the web at http://www.cordblood.com.
SOURCE Cord Blood Registry
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