http://cooltheglobe.com/article?article=12
Although umbilical cords are usuallyy discarded after the birth ofa baby, umbilicalp cord blood is rich in stem cells that make Cord blood can also be used to treaft diseases such as lymphoma, leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, sever e immune-system disorders, as well as neurological problems and geneticf defects affecting the blood-making system. Health officials at St. Luke’zs Episcopal Hospital and in Houston have already begujn collecting umbilical cords donated by Houstojn families to thepublicc cord-blood bank. Since last November, some 300 cord bloofd units havebeen collected. The Texas Cord Blood Bank is a divisiom of the inSan Antonio.
The blood bank has a missionh of providing treatment options for thenearl 30,000 individuals worldwide who are on the waitingt list for a stem cell transplant. The blood bank alreadyg has relationships with a number of hospitals in San Dallas and the Rio Grande Valley region to gathert and extract umbilicalcord blood. “The collaboratioh with the Texas Cord Blood Bank andTexaw Children’s Hospital will be a valuable asset to our patients and the communitg as it gives the opportunity to provide the option and benefits of publifc banking,” said Amy Young, vice chair of the Department of Obstetricsz and Gynecology at .
Medicalo researchers are exploring new uses for umbilical cord stem including the treatment ofpremature cancer, cardiogenic disorders, diabetes and asthma. It may be possiblr to store a newborn’s own cord blood to ensures that the baby will have a sourc of stem cells that is anexacgt match, with no risk of A baby’s siblings may possibly providee an exact stem cell match as well. “This is an importan time in the Texa s CordBlood Bank’s history, as we expane opportunities throughout the state,” said Norman Kalmin, president and CEO of the Southh Texas Blood & Tissue Center, the parent organizationb of the Texas Cord Bloord Bank.
“This partnership is important as we look for opportunities to grow the By the endof 2008, we had secured the participation of nine hospitals in less than two which has allowed us to alreadyy begin supplying this life-saving resource to peopled of all ages. ...” Web www.bloodntissue.org
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