Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) can rapidly divide, regenerate, and differentiate into many cell types including neural cells, bone cells, and cartilage. They also have the ability to respond to inflammation and aid in tissue repair. These unique qualities have researchers excited about their potential to help improve certain conditions affecting cartilage, muscle and nerve cells.

What is Cord Blood & Cord Tissue Banking?

After your baby is born, stem cells from the cord blood and tissue can be collected and saved for potential future use. This process is known as banking. If you’re considering banking your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue stem cells, be sure to choose a cord blood bank accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), like ViaCord.

Why should I bank my baby’s cord blood & cord tissue stem cells?

Cord tissue banking allows families to secure an additional source of stem cells that work in a different way than cord blood stem cells do. Cord tissue banking is the process of collecting the umbilical cord tissue (after the cord blood has been collected) and cryogenically freezing the stem cells within for potential future medical use.

When it comes to cord tissue banking, it’s important to understand how the umbilical cord tissue tissue is processed and stored, as it varies among cord tissue services.

ViaCord, a sponsor of the American Pregnancy Association goes the extra mile to extract the cord tissue cells prior to freezing and storage, so your cells will be ready to use if needed. Some banks simply store segments of the cord tissue, without extracting the stem cells first, resulting in a final product that is not ready for use.

Why is collecting cord tissue Important?

Although cord tissue stem cells have no proven uses yet, their unique qualities, such as their ability to respond to inflammation, help the immune system, and aid in tissue repair have scientists and researchers very excited about their potential use. A significant amount of research is underway to better understand how MSCs from cord tissue could play a role in future therapies that could benefit from their properties, like:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Alzheimer’s
  Autism
• Type 1 diabetes
• Lung cancer
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sports injuries (cartilage)
• Lupus
  and More

In fact, scientists and researchers are interested in MSCs from cord tissue to help possibly heal damage done by COVID-19. Clinical Research Studies are underway using stem cells from cord tissue in the treatment of Covid-19. The studies are very small, and results are not published, however it shows how versatile and potentially valuable cord tissue stem cells are. Click on the studies below for more details:

University of Miami (USA)
Wuhan Union Hospital (China)

The range of conditions using MSCs in trials demonstrates their great potential and is a reason why more and more families are choosing to bank their baby’s cord tissue.

Who Can Use Your Baby’s Cord Tissue?

When it comes to using your baby’s cord tissue stem cells, immediate biological family members may also benefit. Compatibility is a reason why families bank cord tissue.

How are they collected?

Whether you have a C-section or vaginal delivery, the collection process is non-disruptive to you or your baby. Because the stem cells are collected after the umbilical cord has been cut, there is absolutely no discomfort or danger to your baby, making the process completely safe. Even if you choose delayed cord clamping, you can still do the collection.
The collection process:

• Cord Blood: After your baby is born, your medical professional will clamp and cut the umbilical cord. After thoroughly cleaning the cord, a needle will used to collect the cord blood and insert it into a collection bag.

• Cord Tissue: Once the blood is removed from the umbilical cord, your doctor will cut a segment of the tissue, thoroughly clean it, and place it in a collection cup.

What happens after the collection?

Once the collection is complete, your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue stem cells will be transported to a lab for processing and storage. When researching cord blood banks, be sure to choose a facility accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) for handling, processing and storing stem cells. ViaCord is the only bank to receive AABB accreditation for processing and storing newborn stem cells from both cord blood and cord tissue. Accreditation validates the quality of banking services. To learn more about their special collection, processing and storage methods call 1-866-384-0476.

How much does cord blood and cord tissue banking cost?

There are usually two fees involved in cord blood and cord tissue banking. The first an initial fee that covers enrollment, collection, and storage for the first year. The second is an annual storage fee. The initial fee for some cord blood banks may vary depending on the length of storage. Many cord blood banks offer prepaid plans and payment plans.

What if I choose to donate my baby’s cord blood and cord tissue stem cells?

Donating your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue stem cells could make a life changing difference for another family in need. From cord blood foundations to non-profits and medical facilities, there are numerous locations that will collect, process, and use the stem cells from your baby’s cord blood and cord tissue to treat other people. As with any other donation, there is no cost to donate it.

Click here to find a public cord blood donation site in your area.

Where can I get more information about cord blood and cord tissue banking services?

With a little research, you should also be able to locate a credible cord blood and tissue bank online.

For information about cord blood banking, click or call ViaCord toll-free at 1-866-384-0476

Compiled using information from the following sources:

https://www.viacord.com

https://www.viacord.com/references

Read more:

• Cord Blood Banking – Your Three Choices Explained
• Donating Cord Blood

The post Cord Blood Banking appeared first on American Pregnancy Association.

What is Cord Blood?

Found in the blood vessels of the placenta and the umbilical cord, cord blood is loaded with stem cells which can be used to treat cancer, blood diseases like anemia and some immune system disorders. The cord blood is easy to collect and contains more than 10 times the stem cells collected from bone marrow. Stems cells from cord blood are half as likely to be rejected as adult stem cells.

How is Cord Blood Collected?

Cord blood is collected after the baby is born.  The doctor clamps the umbilical cord in two places, about 10 inches apart, and cuts the cord, separating mother from baby. Then they insert a needle and collect at least 40 milliliters of blood from the cord. The blood is sealed in a bag and sent to a lab or cord blood bank for testing and storage. The process only takes a few minutes and is painless for mother and baby.  Cord blood is a biological product regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Approved Uses for Cord Blood

Cord blood is approved only for use in “hematopoietic stem cell transplantation” procedures, which are done in patients with disorders affecting the hematopoietic (blood forming) system. Currently, there are over 80 FDA-approved treatments using the umbilical cord blood, including childhood leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and other blood cancers and immune disorders. The stem cells in umbilical cord blood are used to rebuild the body following chemotherapy and other aggressive treatments for these diseases.

In addition to the current FDA approved uses for cord blood stem cells, medical research is exploring its the potential for treating Cerebral Palsy, hypoxic brain injury at birth, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells can be collected immediately after childbirth and processed to isolate and cryogenically preserve the HSCs for potential future medical use.  If needed, stored stem cells from umbilical cord blood can be thawed and transfused into the bloodstream to regenerate the immune system. For instance, in many cancer patients, the disease is found in the blood cells. Chemotherapy treatment of these patients kills both cancer cells and the healthy blood-forming stem cells. Transplanted stem cells from cord blood can help regrow the healthy blood cells after the chemotherapy.

However, cord blood is not a cure-all

The FDA urges caution. “Because cord blood contains stem cells, there have been stem cell fraud cases related to cord blood,” says Keith Wonnacott, Ph.D., Chief of the Cellular Therapies Branch in FDA’s Office of Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies. “Consumers may think that stem cells can cure any disease, but science doesn’t show this to be the case. Patients should be skeptical if cord blood is being promoted for uses other than blood stem cell regeneration.”

About Cord Blood Banking

After cord blood is collected, it is frozen via  cryopreservation and can be safely stored for many years. It’s important to store the blood with a reputable and certified banking organization. The American Pregnancy Association recommends ViaCord. They are a private bank which means the blood will be available when needed by your child or first- or second-degree relatives. Private cord banks charge fees for blood collection and storage.

Or you may donate the cord blood to a public bank so that doctors can use for a patient who needs a hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

FDA Regulations

FDA regulates cord blood in different ways, depending on the source, level of processing and intended use.

Cord blood stored for personal use, for use in first- or second-degree relatives, and that also meets other criteria in FDA’s regulations, does not require the agency’s approval before use. Private cord banks must still comply with other FDA requirements, including establishment registration and listing, current good tissue practice regulations, and donor screening and testing for infectious diseases (except when cord blood is used for the original donor). These FDA requirements ensure safety of these products by minimizing the risk of contamination and transmission of infectious diseases.

Cord blood stored for use by a patient unrelated to the donor meets the legal definitions of both a “drug” and a “biological product.” Cord blood in this category must meet additional requirements and be licensed under a biologics license application, or be the subject of an investigational new drug application before use. The FDA requirements help to ensure that these products are safe and effective for their intended use.

Cord Blood Donation Tips for Consumers

By donating your newborn’s umbilical cord blood, you are joining a nationwide effort to create a genetically diverse inventory of stem cells for a child or adult in need of a potentially life-saving transplant.  Public banks collect qualifying cord blood donations from healthy pregnancies and save them in case one will be the match to save the life of a patient in need of a stem cell transplant.

It’s free to donate your child’s cord blood and makes it possible for someone to find a match outside of their family.  Public cord blood banking is highly recommended by both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Medical Association (AMA).

If you’re considering donating to a cord blood bank, you should look into your options during your pregnancy to have enough time to decide before your baby is born. For public banking, ask whether your delivery hospital participates in a cord blood banking program.

If you have questions about collection procedures and risks, or about the donation process, ask your health care provider.

FDA also offers a searchable database that maintains information on registered cord blood banks.

Parents from minority ethnic groups may especially want to consider donation to a public bank, because more donations from these populations will help more minority patients who need a stem cell transplant. (The recipients must be “matched” to donors, so doctors are more likely to find a good match among donors from the recipient’s ethnic group.)

When it comes to public banking, there’s a proven need for cord blood. And there’s a need especially among minorities to have stem cell transplants available. Cord blood is an excellent source for stem cell transplants.

And these transplants can be life-changing for patients.

Compiled from the following sources:

https://www.viacord.com/references

The post Should You Bank Your Baby’s Cord Blood? appeared first on American Pregnancy Association.

Why Donate Cord Blood?

Cord blood is the residual blood found in the umbilical cord after the baby has been delivered.  It contains stem cells that fueled the development of your child while in the womb.
After your child is born, these same stem cells have properties that can be used by others in the treatment of various conditions or diseases.  Stem cells from cord blood have been treating and saving lives for over 30 years now.
By donating your child’s stem cells to the National Marrow Donor Program’s Be The Match® Registry, they will be available for someone in need of a stem cell transplant. If you don’t plan to privately store your child’s cord blood, then donating it may help save a life.
It is safe, free, easy and the choice is yours.  Donate and save lives or discard it as medical waste.  Complete this form to learn more or get started with donating your cord blood.

Are you a Minority?

Like bone marrow transplants, stem cell transplants require a genetic match.  This means that stem cells are more likely to match someone with a similar ethnic background who is in need.
The Be The Match Registry is working to build a nationwide public inventory of cord blood units that matches the demographics of the United States to give everyone an opportunity to find a match.  Their success depends on donors with different ethnic backgrounds.
This means that if you are pregnant and a minority, choosing to donate is extremely important.  It’s also important to spread the word to other minority friends you know who are also expecting.
Minority populations should not lose out, but the only way for that to happen is for people like you to choose to donate their baby’s cord blood.  It’s free, simple and risk-free.

Disqualifications for Donating Cord Blood

There are situations or conditions that prevent an individual from donating blood and the same is true for cord blood donations.  Here is a quick look at the most common circumstances that disqualify someone from making a cord blood donation:

• Under 18 Year of Age
• Pregnancy with twins or multiples
• Insulin Dependence
• Autoimmune disease/disorder in the immediate family
• Cancer in the immediate family
• Platelet – blood cell diseases
• HIV, Hepatitis A, B, or C
• Syphilis or gonorrhea if experienced in the last 12 months
• West Nile if experienced while pregnant
• IV drug use
• Transfer of money or drugs for sex in the past 12 months
• Having sex with a man who has had sex with a man in the past 12 months
• Piercing or tattoos with shared or non-sterile materials
• Travel to a malaria-risk area (one year for visiting, three years for residents)*

*Commonly visited areas with a malaria risk: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

What about drug use?

Drug use, in general, does NOT disqualify a cord blood donation apart from the conditions noted above.

What about STDs?

Apart from HIV and Hep C, most STD conditions do not cancel the opportunity to make a cord blood donation.  The only exception is for currently active infections.

Are there other conditions?

Yes, there are other conditions that will disqualify a donation; however, they are rare and even less likely than what is listed above.

Diseases and Conditions Treated by Cord Blood

The good news is the diseases and conditions listed below are rare.  The better news is that there is treatment through stem cells from cord blood to help with these situations.

Cancers:

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), Burkitt’s Lymphoma, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Chromic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML), Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis, Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Neuroblastoma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
 

Blood Disorders:

E-β+ Thalassemia, E-βo Thalassemia, HbSC Disease, Sickle βo Thalassemia, Sickle-Cell Anemia (Hemoglobin SS), α-Thalassemia Major (Hydrops Fetalis), β-Thalassemia Intermedia, β-Thalassemia Major (Cooley’s Anemia)

Metabolic Disorders:

Adrenoleukodystrophy Gaucher’s Disease (Infantile), Alpha Mannosidosis, Gunther Disease, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, Hunter Syndrome, Hurler Syndrome, Hurler-Scheie Syndrome, Krabbe Disease (Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy), Lesch-Nyhan Disease, Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Mucolipidosis Type II, III, Niemann Pick Syndrome, Type A and B, Sandhoff Syndrome, Sanfilippo Syndrome, Tay-Sachs Disease

Immunodeficiencies:

Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency, Ataxia Telangiectasia, Chronic Granulomatous Disease, DiGeorge Syndrome, IKK Gamma Deficiency, Immune Dysregulation Polyendocrineopathy, Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency, Myelokathexis X-linked Immunodeficiency, Omenn’s Syndrome, Reticular Dysplasia, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, Thymic Dysplasia, Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia, X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disease, X-Linked Mucolipidosis, Type II

Bone Marrow Failure Diseases:

Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia, Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia, Congenital Sideroblastic Anemia, Cyclic Neutropenia, Diamond-Blackfan Anemia, Dyskeratosis Congenita, Evan’s Syndrome, Fanconi Anemia, Glanzmann’s Disease, Juvenile Dermatomyositis, Kostmann’s Syndrome, Red Cell Aplasia, Severe Aplastic Anemia, Shwachman Syndrome, Thrombocytopenia with absent radius (TAR Syndrome Autoimmune Neutropenia – Severe)
Sources:
Be the Match, https://bethematch.org/
Via Cord, https://www.cordforlife.com
Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en

The post Donating Cord Blood appeared first on American Pregnancy Association.

Cord blood donation is completely safe.  It won’t affect your labor or delivery and no blood is taken from your newborn.  After your OBGYN cuts the umbilical cord and determines that you and your child are medically stable, they collect any blood left in the cord to save the valuable stem cells it contains.  Once the blood is collected, the cord blood bank arranges everything else from pick-up and delivery to testing and registration with the Be The Match Registry®.

There is no charge for donating your cord blood and once you register to donate with a certified public cord blood bank, like Cord For Life®, you will receive a collection kit with everything you’ll need to donate your child’s cord blood.
Inside every newborn’s umbilical cord are stem cells that were used to create life.  Some of these cells are left behind after your child is born, which can be collected and used in life-saving transplants.  There are currently over 80 FDA approved uses for umbilical cord blood stem cells in helping in the recovery and fight against leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers.

Better Than Bone Marrow

Thirty years ago, a bone marrow transplant was a patient’s best hope for recovery after chemotherapy or radiation treatments.  Today, bone marrow is still widely used to restore a patient’s immune system, but according to the FDA and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, cord blood has surpassed bone marrow in terms of the potential for a successful transplant.

Recognizing the importance of cord blood stem cells in treating patients, Congress passed legislation in 2005 to establish a National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI), operated by through a network of certified cord blood banks by the NMDP’s Be The Match Registry®.  The goal of the program is to collect and store at least 150,000 new cord blood units to treat patients.

The success of the program depends on the generous support of new mothers willing to donate their child’s cord blood to build a nationwide inventory of genetically diverse cord blood units for patients in need of a transplant.

3 Simple Steps Can Save a Life!

Donating your child’s cord blood takes only a few minutes and could mean the gift of hope to someone in need of a life-saving transplant.  To get started today, just follow these three simple steps to save a life:

1. Visit Cord For Life® to verify you meet the basic guidelines for cord blood donation.
2. If you qualify to donate your child’s cord blood, complete the Donation Forms before your 34^th week of pregnancy.
3. Bring the FREE collection kit with you to the hospital when you go into labor, then contact Cord For Life® to pick up the kit for processing and storage.

To learn more about cord blood and stem cells, download this FREE Information Guide.

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