Congress to Support National Cord Blood Network

The potential medical benefits of stem cells found in cord blood, coupled with currently inadequate systems and registries for cord blood, has spurred the US Senate to work on legislation establishing a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network.

The $79 million project would help to cut the wait time for those needing matching cord blood stem cells.

Excerpt: "The National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network would create a national resource of umbilical cord stem cells, overhauling the current system of uncoordinated public and private banks, accrediting banks, setting standards and providing much greater coordination, resources and quality assurance. There are currently only 50,000 usable units of cord blood in US public banks, and at least 100,000 more high-quality units are necessary. Kristine M. Gebbie, lead author of the IOM report also highlights the importance of a national system of cord blood collection to enable much greater research and understanding of how umbilical cord stem cells can be used to treat patients. Researchers including Joanne Kurtzberg, chief of the division of bone and marrow transplantation at Duke University, note that there will be many new uses for cord blood stem cells developing over the next two decades, in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease and other forms of tissue repair and regeneration and a national bank of umbilical cord stem cells is a vital resource."

You can read the piece, reprinted from The Scientist, by clicking here.