Cord Blood Blog

Breaking news last week of federal stimulus funding allocated to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center had meaningful and exciting implications for future research regarding the transfusion of cord blood stem cells to treat blood tumors such as leukemia. The institution will receive more than $40 million across 60 research grants under the American Recovery …

I recently read an article discussing umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants used for the treatment of stroke.  Researchers at the Chi Mei Medical Center in Taiwan used mice to test the effectiveness of umbilical cord blood transplants in treating paralysis, a common, post-stroke problem.  The study discovered that the cord blood improved the animals’ …

A colleague recently discovered an interesting blog. Natalie Curry was the first U.S. citizen to receive a cord blood stem cell transplant. Born in 1985, suffering from Fanconi Anemia, Natalie needed a stem cell transplant. Unable to fine an HLA match through bone marrow, her parents decided to conceive another child as a potential match. …

Scientists at the Salk Institute have been able to reprogram cord blood stem cells to make them very similar to embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are very valuable because they can theoretically be turned into any type of cell. They are controversial because embryos must be destroyed to harvest them. Using reprogrammed adult stem …

Some of you may have heard about a cord blood bank being shut down by the FDA because it did not “have adequate protections in place against the risks of communicable disease transmission.” We’re sure all our patients know this, but we want to reassure any of you who have questions: MAZE Cord Blood Labs …

Well, everyone’s entitled to his or her opinion… A study by the University of California, San Francisco, that will be published in October, uses a type of quantitative analysis called “decision analysis” to determine the effectiveness of private cord blood banking. The study determines that it is not. Hmmm. The technique used in the study …

Expectant parents often wonder when they need to decide if they are going to bank their baby’s cord blood and when they need to register with a cord blood bank.  While you can decide anytime during your pregnancy, we recommend beginning your research early in your second trimester.  You want to have time to examine …

Choosing a cord blood bank to save your baby’s cord blood is a big decision.  Parents worry about making the right choice.  Will the cord blood be processed correctly?  Will the cord blood be safe? Every parent worries about these questions.  Now you can hear from parents who have banked their cord blood with M.A.Z.E. …

Expectant parents sometimes worry that their doctor may not be familiar with the cord blood collection process.  While cord blood collection is very common and many obstetricians have collected cord blood for previous patients, if yours hasn’t, don’t worry.  M.A.Z.E. provides extremely clear instructions for the cord blood collection process.  In addition, M.A.Z.E. has health …