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Stem Cell News and Research

Parents Saving Umbilical Cord Blood For Stem Cells

Dr. Mallika Marshall
Oct 3, 2006

(CBS4) BOSTON A growing number of families are banking their baby's umbilical cord blood, hoping that it may provide life-saving stem cells, should they need them.

Brandyn Orr, 12, is healthy today, but that wasn’t always the case. He was diagnosed with leukemia as a toddler. His family was devastated but determined. “He fought tooth and nail in the beginning,” said Orr’s mother.

Years of chemotherapy led to remission, but he relapsed and needed a stem cell transplant, but unlike other patients, Brandyn didn't need to wait for a donor match from a hospital or public registry.

When his two brothers were born, Brandyn was sick, so his mother saved the blood from their umbilical cords and placentas, which is rich with stem cells.

“It was enough to do the transplant,” said Orr’s mother. “It was the most wonderful news I’ve ever heard.”

Stem cells from cord blood are currently used to treat diseases like leukemia and sickle cell anemia, but research is underway for diabetes, heart failure, spinal cord injuries and stroke.

“No one knows what the future holds, no one knows what might happen in terms of a disease or injury so to have these cells available as a treatment option is priceless,” said Stephen Grant of the Cord Blood Registry.

Bertran Lubin is a pediatric hematologists. While he sees great benefits with cord blood, he warns there's still not enough science to make sweeping claims to parents. “It's premature right now to be able to say that there's a value for private banking hopefully within the next five to ten years there will be more evidence.”

As for now, Dr. Lubin says the chances of using a child's own cord blood are slim, with estimates ranging from one in 1,000, to one in 200,000, and if a child has a genetic disease, his own cord blood may be useless.

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View News & Media Disclaimer
Banking cord blood does not guarantee that the cells will provide a cure or be applicable for every situation. For inherited genetic conditions, the child will not be able to use his or her own stem cells. A matched sibling's stem cells would be the first choice. Ultimate use will be determined by the treating physician. Treatment for brain injury and juvenile diabetes is experimental and currently requires the use of your own cord blood. Medical treatments using family banked cord tissue are in early research and are not available today; there is no guarantee that therapies will be developed in the future.
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