What Is Cord Blood Used For?

WHAT IS CORD BLOOD USED FOR? A newborn baby's umbilical cord blood contains stem cells. Stem cells, known as hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCS), can reproduce and transform themselves into other types of human cells. Stem cells can be used to generate more healthy cells for patients with blood diseases, such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. They can also improve a patient's recovery from chemotherapy and radiation. Parents may choose to preserve their newborn's cord blood in a private blood bank in case it is needed later to combat diseases. This is particularly important for those with a family history of blood-related diseases. Cord blood from a donor may be used instead of a bone marrow transplant in some cases. The matching requirements for cord blood donors and recipients are less rigorous compared to those for bone marrow donations." CORD BLOOD STATISTICS Cord Blood Transplants 2003 to 2013 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Transplants From Cord Blood, Bone Marrow, and Stem Cells 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 *90 '91 92 '93 "94 "95 '96 '97 '98 '99 00. '01 "02 '03 "05 90. *07 80. *09 '10 11 '12 '13 Bone Marrow Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Cord Blood Diseases That Are Treated With Cord Blood: Leukemia Lymphoma Anemia Sickle Cell Disease Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Multiple Myeloma Clinical Trials Are Underway for Treating These Diseases With Cord Blood: Type 1 Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) Cerebral Palsy Multiple Sclerosis Lupus Cystic Fibrosis Myocardial Infarction Breast Cancer Sources: http://bloodcell.transplant.hrsa.gov/research/transplant_data/registry_tx_data/index.html http://americordblood.com/cord-blood-banking/ongoing-clinical-trials http://americordblood.com/cord-blood-blogs/ http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/banking-your-babys-cord-blood Americord ENationalPositions BEYOND CORD BLOOD BANKING Number of Registry Transplants Number of Registry Transplants