Cord Blood Banking in the Philippines; What you Need to Know

Cerebral palsy. Stroke. Parkinson’s disease. Juvenile Diabetes. Cancer. Heart disease.

If you could protect your newborn baby against these diseases in the future, would you do so? This is the option that umbilical cord blood banking, through the potential represented by stem cell treatment, offers to parents.

Today, stem cells have been proven to treat over 80 different diseases. Transplants of stem cells have saved the lives of roughly 20,000 Americans with leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell anemia, and several other illnesses. Apart from these, the potential being offered by stem cell research and treatment is also very promising.

Worldwide, there are ongoing clinical trials involving the use of stem cells to treat juvenile diabetes, cerebral palsy, brain injury, stroke and heart disease, liver disease, cartilage regeneration, eye disorders, spinal cord injuries, and auto-immune disorders. Some of the most encouraging results indicate that stem cell treatments are safe and capable of repairing the damage caused by stroke and heart disease. With all these developments, it’s not surprising that 1 in 200 people may benefit from stem cell transplantation in their lifetime.

According to the U.S. National Marrow Donor Program, Cord blood is the most frequently used source of stem cells for pediatric patients today (Figure 1). Apart from being readily available at birth, it is quick, painless, and risk-free for both the mother and the child. Stem cells from cord blood may also be used to treat family members since the chance of locating a cord blood match among related siblings is 60% higher than a bone marrow match, includes fewer complications, and has improved medical outcomes. Additionally, for experimental medicine that makes use of cord blood, the child’s own stem cells are required.

Because of the many advantages and the growing list of diseases that can be treated with stem cells, cord blood banking is now considered by health professionals as an essential part of healthcare, and not just as a medical option.

 

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In fact, in the United States, a total of 20 states—representing 68% of the U.S. population—have legislation in place endorsing education on cord blood stem cells as well as the cord blood banking options. The said legislation also mandates those who provide health care services to a pregnant woman during the last trimester of her pregnancy shall provide the women with timely, relevant, and appropriate information sufficient to allow her to make an informed choice about cord blood banking.

Citing its role in stem cell therapy and research as well as the international precedents that set it as part of legislative healthcare policy, umbilical cord blood banking will be integral if the Philippines were to establish its own Stem Cell Research Network.

While the public is still largely unaware of it, the Philippines is already home to one such umbilical cord blood banking facility equipped with world-class technologies and follows international quality standards. One of these organizations is CordLife. CordLife, with facilities in the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and India, provides a full suite of cord blood and tissue banking services including the collection, processing, testing, and cryopreservation (Collection, processing and storage of umbilical cord tissue is currently available in CordLife Hong Kong and India facilities) of cord blood stem cells and tissue.

As a private cord blood banking facility, we believe that our efforts would complement and greatly enhance the establishment of a national stem cell research and storage network. The proposed legislation is very clear in not allowing the isolation, derivation, production, testing and human clinical use of embryonic stem cells; and with this, the importance of adult stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood is further emphasized since it is the most readily available stem cell source for clinical use.

This is especially true since CordLife is currently exploring partnerships with research institutions and local medical centers to clinically translate the latest innovations in cord blood research and cellular therapy as an extension of its operations.

It is our hope that legislation on the establishment of a Stem Cell Research and Storage Network would consider the following provisions:
•    Elevating awareness on umbilical cord blood banking and parents’ options for preserving them;
•    Encouraging prenatal care providers to educate expectant parents about their cord blood banking options early enough in the pregnancy so they can make an informed decision about whether to privately bank their child’s newborn stem cells or to donate them to a public bank.

Figure 1: Transplant by Cell Source for Pediatric Recipients (Source: NMDP)

 

Sources:
•    Parents’ Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, “Diseases Treated by Blood Stem Cells”, accessed on March 21, 2011.
•    Institute of Medicine of the National Academies “Cord Blood: Establishing a National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bank Program.” 2004.
•    National Marrow Donor Program, “Outcomes and Trends”, accessed on March 21, 2011.
•    Lifelinecryogenics.com. Last accessed 28 February 2011/

 

Photo from jasondunn.com

 

May 3, 2011

Phrase 4 of 4:

"understanding." - Erma Bombeck