Cord Blood Developments

Mary Webb was joined by her children, Quentin (16) and Jory (11), to speak at Cryo-Cell's Cord Blood Educator Conference this year. At the age of four, Quentin was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Quentin is one of the 3,000 children diagnosed with ALL each year in the United States. She shared her impactful story of dealing with her son’s cancer diagnosis and how, now, she is a strong proponent of umbilical cord stem cells. 

November 15^th was World Cord Blood Day (WCBD), a day organized and hosted by Save the Cord Foundation to promote awareness and education on the topic of cord blood. The day’s presentations centered around sharing new research advancements and the incredible life-saving potential of cord blood stem cells. Don’t fret if you missed the events of the day-- we’re here to provide you with the highlights from the keynote researchers!

This past October, Cryo-Cell’s passionate team of cord blood educators met with Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, from Duke University Medical Center, to hear about the latest developments in clinical trials using cord blood and cord tissue. Her presentation was centered around recent advancements in stem cell expansion, her work in recent clinical trials, and she also shared successful umbilical cord transplant stories of former patients.

The Apgar test is used by obstetricians and midwives as a way to capture a brief glance into a newborn’s general health in intervals of one minute, five minutes, and ten minutes after birth to determine if immediate medical intervention is needed. We help you understand what the Apgar score means and how umbilical cord stem cells could play a role in the equation.
 

Recently, there has been a proliferation of start-up companies to cryogenically preserve the blood of adults for future use. These companies have come under recent scrutiny after the International Society of Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) issued a consumer alert. What did the ISCT determine? In a nutshell, storing adult stem cells for future use is unwise. We support the ruling of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and ISCT’s stance. Let’s address the what, how, and why.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a type of congenital heart disease which affects 1 to 3 of every 10,000 children. Treatment for this condition consists of three rounds of surgery. However, clinical trials in regenerative medicine are being explored for alternative forms of treatment that are less invasive. The answer may lie in cord blood stem cells.

When it comes to parenthood, expecting parents have many questions and concerns as to what is best for their little one. Cord blood banking should be an aspect of consideration. Many understand the importance of umbilical cord stem cells and the potential these cells hold, but may still have some reservations about cord blood banking. We are here to answer the top five, lesser-known, questions about cord blood banking to help you make an informed decision.

Public cord blood banks are facing some unique challenges with sustainability, donor diversity, and financial woes, which are forcing many public cord blood banks to shut down their facilities. With looming problems ahead, some people question the long-term future of the public banking sector. Let’s take a look at some of the issues that plague the public banking system and outline the unique benefits of private cord blood banking.
 

July is Cord Blood Awareness Month, and cord blood education is the first step to helping parents make a fundamental decision for the future of their families by banking their child's cord blood. We want to answer the top three questions people have about cord blood banking, and to share some tips on how you can do your part to spread awareness on this often-misunderstood topic.

The odds of needing one's own cord blood are likely to rise in the future as new discoveries are made for the treatment of certain diseases with cord blood.