Cord Blood Registry Opens World's Largest Newborn Stem Cell Facility

Cord Blood Registry Opens World's Largest Newborn Stem Cell Facility

		Banking on Safety in Tucson, Arizona December 5, 2005 - Cord Blood Registry's (CBR) new 80,000 square foot state-of-the-art laboratory in Tucson, safely stores newborn stem cells in specially designed cryogenic vaults. For more information about CBR, visit www.cordblood.com. (PRNewsFoto/CBR Systems, Inc.) TUCSON, AZ UNITED STATES

Representative David Bradley (AZ) Expresses Support for Increased Education on Cord Blood Options TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Cord Blood Registry (CBR), the largest and most experienced family newborn stem cell bank in the world, along with Dr. David Harris of the University of Arizona, and State Representative David T. Bradley (AZ), kicked off the opening of the company's new state-of-the-art facility held here today. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051205/NYM073 ) "More than 400,000 cord blood units from over 110,000 clients call this facility home," CBR's CEO Tom Moore explained. "With the opening of our new 80,000 square foot facility, CBR has set the standard in the cord blood banking industry with newly designed computer monitoring and tracking systems to ensure the security of the stem cells, more efficient techniques for processing samples, and expanded storage facilities with the capacity to house over 20 million newborn stem cell units in 674 cryogenic vaults. "Cord blood is a non-controversial and valuable source of stem cells that are treating a wide variety of diseases everyday. We believe strongly that parents need to know more about the benefits of family cord blood banking before their babies are born so they can make an informed decision about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save their newborns' stem cells," he added. "Most mom's are totally unaware and the cord blood is discarded as medical waste." Bradley to Introduce New Legislation State Representative David Bradley agrees, "I plan to sponsor legislation in Arizona that will facilitate counseling and education about this important option to expectant women. This is such a rapidly changing area with new and exciting uses for umbilical cord blood being evaluated and researched." He went on to explain, "Once the cord is discarded, the ability to save the blood for future uses is gone, so educating women about the merits of saving umbilical cord blood is the key to increasing the number of women who opt to bank their babies' blood. "I suspect that many people are unaware of the benefits of cord blood banking. It is especially important for those with a family history of certain types of diseases like sickle cell anemia or leukemia and over 75 other diseases that can be successfully treated by stem cells," said Representative Bradley. The Science of Tomorrow "We are entering a new frontier in the science of cord blood transplantation with recent studies showing potential of this technology in regenerative medicine. This has led to its emerging clinical use in regenerating brain tissue and treating spinal cord injuries," said Dr. Harris, CBR's Scientific Director and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Arizona. Dr. Harris, a pioneer in cord blood banking, established the first family cord blood stem cell bank in 1992 when he banked the newborn stem cells for his first child. Once considered a "waste product," cord blood has now become an accepted alternative to bone marrow as a source of stem cells for transplantation, and has been used in more than 6,000 transplants worldwide. These cells, collected from umbilical cord blood, are the building blocks of the body's blood and immune system and the "master cells" that lead to the production of various types of cells. Family banked newborn stem cells are used either for the donor baby (called autologous transplantation), or for siblings, parents, grandparents, or cousins. Studies have shown a doubling of the survival rate with cord blood stem cell transplants from a relative compared with stem cells from unrelated donors. To date, stem cell transplants have been used to treat 80 conditions, including various cancers, blood disorders, and genetic diseases. About CBR Cord Blood Registry is a registered trademark of CBR Systems, Inc., the world's largest family newborn stem cell bank. It is the leader in newborn stem cell processing and cryopreservation for familial use in transplantation and regenerative medicine. The 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 potential to repair damaged or diseased tissues with little risk of rejection and increased long-term survival. The company's research and development is focused on advancing the collection, processing, and storage methods to optimize quality and cell yield. Additionally, CBR facilitates collection of donated research samples, which available for the nearly 200 research programs worldwide that are focused on stem cell expansion and cell-based therapies. For more information, visit http://www.cordblood.com, or call 1-888-CORD BLOOD. Contact: Stephanie Schiel Communications Strategies, Inc. 973-635-6669 Rita Kennen Cord Blood Registry 800-588-6377, ext. 239