News

Jun 2012   Nita Thompson of African American Blood Drive and Bone Marrow Registry for Sickle Cell Disease Awareness volunteered to run the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood exhibit booth at the 2012 Cord Blood Symposium

Jun 2012   Recent reports show that teen pregnancy and births in the U.S. have reached an all-time low, so it's tempting for parents, healthcare providers, and community leaders to think, "problem solved!" and move on to another issue. But here is the reality: Approximately 750,000 teen pregnancies occur annually in the U.S., and roughly one in three teen girls gets pregnant before age 20.

Jun 2012   Amniotic fluid has been used for more than 70 years for prenatal diagnosis (1). It is extracted, by a procedure called "amniocentesis", generally between the 14th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, to assess for genetic birth defects. In addition to the fluid required for testing, the doctor will also withdraw a small amount (a few milliliters) of additional fluid, in case any further testing is required. That extra fluid could be used to isolate fetal stem cells from the baby, as it contains a varied population of cells that originate from the tissues of the baby's skin, respiratory, digestive and urinary tracts.

May 2012   The idea of forming our Foundation came as a result of not knowing what to do with our emotions after we lost our beautiful daughter to a very rare form of Leukemia known as AML-M7. With the help of family and friends it was decided to honor Kacey's life by helping other families that are battling childhood cancer. During our daughter's 15 month fight, we witnessed many unfortunate consequences of a child being diagnosed with cancer. When Kacey relapsed shortly after completing the standard 5 rounds of chemo normally used to treat her disease, the only option left was for her to undergo a bone marrow transplant. We were relieved to have this treatment option. That feeling quickly went away when we found out that there was not a single match for Kacey in the entire world registry. We were devastated, how could this be?

May 2012   Diabetes is present in 2-6% of pregnant women in the United States; 88% of these women have gestational diabetes (GDM). This is a form of diabetes which appears during pregnancy, typically during the second or third trimester. The prevalence of GDM has increased due to the increased incidence of obesity in the US. The remaining 12% of pregnant women with diabetes have pre-existing type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

May 2012   Umbilical cord blood (UCB) contains many stem cells per volume, more than adult bone marrow. In the past 20 years, UCB transplants have saved thousands of people suffering from disorders of the blood and immune system. Since 2005, UCB transplants are known to cure Krabbe's disease [1], a neurological disease that prevents myelination, and a variety of metabolic disorders [2]. Many researchers have reported that UCB may be beneficial for acquired neurological conditions such as stroke [3-4] and cerebral palsy [5-6].

Apr 2012   The vast majority of the media stories about cord blood therapy for cerebral palsy (CP) have been anecdotal reports of children who were treated by the group of Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, at Duke Medical Center. However, there are now multiple trials running around the world and more planned, so it is helpful to compare and contrast some of the trials. This overview is simply meant to be informative, not a comprehensive list or a rating of trials.

Apr 2012   Founded by two families who want to see a better life and future for their children with cerebral palsy, Let's Cure CP launched a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to funding the support of CP research.

Apr 2012   Knee arthritis is a very common problem, afflicting about 1-2 in 10 Americans and getting more common with a heavier population. For some patients with early arthritis (like tears in the meniscus due to age), a common treatment has been arthroscopic surgery. Regrettably, recent research shows that this type of surgery isn't effective. For more severe problems like holes in the cartilage, some patients try micro fracture or autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The micro fracture procedure involves poking holes in the bone to stimulate a less than perfect cartilage repair. The ACI procedure uses cultured cartilage to be placed into the hole and surgically sewn into place. The problem with both procedures is that they don't apply to patients who are older or who have more extensive arthritis. For those patients, the only option is simply waiting until you're old enough to need a knee replacement.

Mar 2012   Two hundred years back, the shaman would say to the patient, "Oh, unfortunate man, give me your blood and bring me the blood of a new born, and I shall mix the two and use my magical chants and my secret potions to teach your blood to heal thyself and put it back into you. I tell you that it will work, if you come to me early in your illness, and if you trust me do as told and if you have pure heart and good liver. And if you heal, you will give me your goat, in return."