Actually many people working on research in cord blood stem cells (HSCs) believe that as of current technology, we have no use for stored HSCs. True, HSCs transplantation has high potential to save your kid when he has a hematological disorder in future, but there is currently no means of "expanding" that small amount of HSCs harvested from birth. So until somebody comes up with a reliable means of expanding these cells, you only have enough HSCs to save your kid up to a certain age. Beyond say the age of 5, there is too little cells to reconsitute your kid's blood system

i have no expertise in ESCs, but we generally don't have a ESC bank for various reasons. True, ESCs are more primitive, meaning they can differntiate into a whole lot more cells, even into HSCs. but we know too little about ESCs, it will take too long before we can do anything with them them. Also I would imagine it would be totally dangerous to extract cells from your fetus at such an early stage of pregnancy.

Both companies Viacord & CBR told me that the doctor who delivers the baby will perform the cordblood to the provided kit that they provided. However, the doctor might have to bill the fees for the cordblood tranfers. Both Viacord & CBR have no idea how much the doctor will charge for this operation.

If you bought the cordblood thru Viacord & CBR, did you have to pay any fees to the doctor at the hospital? if so, how much? please advise at your earliest convenience because my wife due date is drawing near. We need to make decision to buy or not to buy with either the companies. Thanks for your help!

You would need to ask your doc's or birthing center's billing dept to figure that out. Of course, Im thinking, if I have the money to privately bank, a couple hundred extra on my delivery bill shouldnt be an issue.

What do you think about storing the cord blood cells (stem cells)?

I met a reliance stem cell marketing person who explained me ablout the storage of cord blood cells but I still dont understand whether it is really worth to store at a price of 74,900 for 21 years.

It is absolutely not worth it. They try to play on your emotions and your possible eventual guilt in a 'what if' scenario. Saving it is only if you want to store it for your own possible future use (which is not worth the money or trouble). It is like buying an expensive lottery ticket. The chances that you could ever use it are so small. In fact, there is a good chance that the child you have will not be able to use it even if they do become ill because often the 'defect' in their blood or DNA that caused the illness is in the cord blood too.

Even the American Acadamy of Pediatrics says you shouldn't bank the blood: http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summar ... r=5435#s23)


Please donate your baby's cord blood. There is no cost involved if you donate it and you could save someone's life. My daughter was saved by a single unit of cord blood (see my 'source' for our Thank You Letter to our donor).

Info on donating: http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Donate_Cord_ ... index.html


Also, know that this takes pre-planning. Many places can't get everything done they need to get done unless you start by your 34th week.

What is the purpose to preserve baby's umbilical cord blood stem cells at the time of his birth?

Would highly appreciate to hear from guys who have already done it

Blood can be collected from the umbilical cord of a newborn baby shortly after birth. This blood is rich in cord blood stem cells that can be used to generate blood cells and cells of the immune system.

Blood stem cells can be used to treat a range of blood disorders and immune system conditions such as leukaemia and sickle cell anaemia.

Once collected, cord blood can be stored in a ‘cord blood bank’ for use as a potential source of tissue for transplant for that baby should it ever be required. As this blood originated from the person receiving it, there would be no problem with rejection of the transplanted tissue.

Alternatively, the cord blood may be donated to a general cord blood bank for use by other people in need of a transplant. It is hoped that over time, a store of cord blood samples from people of different tissue types may be established. Someone requiring a transplant would be treated with stem cells from the sample most closely matching their own tissue type, thus minimising complications associated with tissue rejection.

Stem cell created from umbilical cord blood can help muscular dystrophy?

As i know, umbilical cord blood can created stem cell that can be cure to many disease. it is because it can combine with other stem cell without problem. so if muscular dystrophy patient (which is do not have dystrophine because their stem cell can't create dystrophine in their body) receive umbilical cord blood stem cell, would the cell develop the dystrophine? if it true, i think it would be great to muscular dystrophy patient like me. sorry if my english was bad.

I don't think this is possible in current medical technology, great question!

How many times the Cord Blood can be used in stem-cell therapy?

I've heard its one time. For today's prevailing charges, the cost looks extremely high against it's benefits, if it can be used only once.

Currently, only one time. Yes, private banking is incredably expensive. If you are having a baby, please consider donation to the public bank. It is free for the mother and will go to help someone else.

http://www.marrow.org is the National Marrow Donors Program for the US and will tell you how to go about donating to the public banks. If you are in a different country, search for your country's marrow program or email me and I will find it for you.

The down side to public donation is that the majority of hospitals are not set up to receive public donations, so you will have to do the leg work and make plans for it ahead of time.

There are also restrictions on who can donate, simular to the restrictions for the marrow registery, since that is what cord blood is currently used for (it can be used in lieu of actual marrow in bone marrow transplants.)

Are umbilical cord blood cells the same as embryonic stem cells? Are umbilical cord blood cells the same as embryonic stem cells?

No expert but I would say no..
The umbilical cord blood is very rich ..

I was just watching an amazing video about a little girl who was "cured" of her cerebral palsy using her own stored blood cord from birth

http://www.cordblood.com/azfamily1.asp.

My question is, if someone were to have a a syndrome, like Retts Sydrome for example where they had a mutation to a gene (in retts the MECP2 mutation) would this mutation also be in the blood cord that was stored - therefore making it a not good source

YES
The cord blood contains the same DNA as the rest of the body. IF a mutated gene is present from birth, it would also be present in the stored cells from cord blood.

I should add: mutated genes that cause a lack of a certain protein can be potentially "fixed" by transfection of a healthy gene that does work via a viral vector. This is called "gene therapy" and there are some success stories there. Gene therapy is different from stem cell therapy, and it has been around much longer.

I need information about cord blood stem cells as soon as possible!? I need information about cord blood stem cells as soon as possible!?