Barb's Daily Dose

Horses and Stem Cells

If it’s good idea for a racehorse, then you can bet it’s probably a great idea for humans.

A recent article by Tracy Gantz posted on Bloodhorse.com reported that researchers are now recommending that owners and breeders of thoroughbreds consider banking the umbilical cord stem cells from prize race horses.

The new field of regenerative medicine in humans is also creating a new field in veterinary medicine. Regenerative medicine uses the body’s own stem cells to help repair and replace damaged tissue, as has been done with people with heart attacks. Likewise, these stem cells may give prize racehorses an opportunity to treat health problems or injuries later in life.

7 Surprising tips for pregnant moms

This is a reprint of an article I wrote for The Cradle   Every pregnant mom knows the standard pregnancy tips. In fact you’ve probably heard the important ones about what fish to avoid and what tests you’ll need so often that you could teach this in medical school. 

So here, for the first time, are the 7 simple and surprising tips Moms to be need to know. 

#1 Put your oxygen mask on 1st – You have to take care of yourself both physically and emotionally to be the kind of mom you want to be. Running on empty doesn’t work for anyone. Remember you’re nurturing a new life, so find ways to nurture yourself. 

Bone Marrow Drives

Too often, we learn of someone who is desperately seeking a Bone Marrow Match to treat their leukemia or other bone marrow cancer.  Recently I met Yul Kwon, he was one of the winners of Survivor. He's actively involved in educating people about bone marrow drives, particularly in the Asian American community.

 

When I worked in pediatric intensive care at Stanford, one of the most heart breaking experiences I encountered was working with children who were waiting for a bone marrow match.  I'm passing on this information in case any of you know of someone who might fit the criteria. Please pass this on to as many people as possible.

Mom of 3 needs a bone marrow match

My friend, a local mother of three and elementary school teacher, is fighting for her life. In January 2008, she was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), the same leukemia I battled. After five rounds of intensive chemo, her cancer returned. It was then doctors found she had been misdiagnosed and was actually fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Because she has received so much chemo already, her body will not handle the normal course of treatment for ALL.  

She needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life. And she needs it soon. Currently there is no match for her on the national donor database or on international databases. She is looking for someone of Native American AND German ancestry. The percent of each heritage is not important.

Two action items:

1.       If you fit this description and are willing to help, would you please contact me? You must be between 18 and 60 and healthy to give. You can be tested for free via a simple cheek swab you can do at home.

2.       If you don’t fit this description, could you please forward this email to others? I’m convinced there’s a donor out there. We just need to cast the net wide enough.

 Please help us find someone. Caren

  caren@mccormackmedia.com

Yul's Commitment to Bone Marrow Drives

The Forgotten Stem Cell

Lost in the controversy over embryonic stem cells are the hard working, life saving stem cells that have been used in over 12,000 transplants and have been quietly saving lives for years. No, these stem cells are not controversial and their use is not experimental. They are Umbilical Cord stem cells and are obtained ONLY after the baby is born and the cord is cut, before the cord is thrown away. They are being used now more than ever before to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. A baby’s cord blood contains millions of these stem cells and thousands of parents have been storing them in case they might need them for the future.

Here’s an example of one story of what banking cord blood has meant for one little boy born with cerebral palsy who is making almost miraculous progress after a treatment with his own cord blood stem cells.
Watch Video

Cord Blood contains millions of stem cells
A baby’s umbilical cord contains millions of stem cells, and because they are only 9 months old, they have some special abilities that that the stem cells in older children and adults do not have. These stem cells can change into many different types of cells in the body. In fact we now know that they can help repair and treat over 70 diseases including leukemias, cancers, sickle cell anemia and others.

Pediatric Nurse speaks out
As you read this, you might be wondering why I’m an advocate of banking cord blood. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, I worked in Pediatric Intensive Care at a major University Hospital. I cared for many children who were waiting for a bone marrow stem cell match to treat their cancers, leukemias and other heart breaking conditions. Many of these children were unable to find a the stem cells that would match their cells and not cause rejection. This has to do with HLA (Human Lymphocyte Antigen) typing.

Cord Blood Stem Cells and Medical Breakthroughs

There are promising breakthroughs using cord blood stem cells in the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes and Cerebral Palsy. Recent advances have led researchers at the University of Florida to start a clinical trial using a child’s own cord blood stem cells to treat their Type 1 diabetes.

At Duke University, children like Dallas Hextell, with brain injury and cerebral palsy are receiving their own cord blood with very promising responses. These and other findings using the stem cells in cord blood to treat a variety of other conditions and diseases has spawned the new field of study in Regenerative Medicine.

Deciding to Bank Your Child's Cord Blood
There are many different aspects to consider when making this decision. First, I believe that we need to encourage families to bank either privately or with a public bank. A child’s own cord blood will be a perfect match, or be compatible for them, should they ever need it. The cells may also match the siblings in the family. This is important because the compatibility of the blood is crucial to the success of the transplant and helps prevent rejection from occurring.

Survival Rates Double
Additionally, survival rates more than double when stem cells from the same family are used, instead of from unrelated donors. Many parents consider private banking as a type of insurance policy, not only for that child, but also for the other children in the family. This is especially important when mom and dad are of different ethnicities, because finding a match from public banks is much harder.

How to chose a bank

When choosing a cord blood bank, consider these factors:

• How high is their cell recovery rate
• How low is their contamination rate –automated systems have the lowest rates
• How many successful transplants the bank has had
• Do they offer a Designated Transplant Program
• Are they accredited by the American Academy of Blood Banks
• How long have they been in business

For more information on banking, see: www.cordblood.com

Banking Cord Blood for your family’s own use
When parents bank privately, they have the reassurance that those stem cells will be there if they ever need them. They also know that the baby’s stem cells will be a perfect match for that child and are likely to match other family members. To see a video that gives you a tour of a cord blood bank see: CordBlood Video

The Cost
When couples are deciding what to do with their child’s cord blood, the cost of collection and storage is an important consideration. I like to compare it to how much we spend on child care each month, and on the crib, strollers, and baby equipment we’re buying.

The initial cost is about $2000 and the yearly fee for storage is $100. This may seem like a lot all at once, but many families consider it a type of insurance policy.

Many other families choose a payment plan so that they spend about $ 40 to $ 50 each month for 4 -5 years. Compared to the $600 – 1200 many of us pay for childcare and then this is a reasonable amount to store cells that may end up saving a life.

Families in Need
One of the reasons I like Cord Blood Registry, CBR is that they have a Designated Transplant Program for families in need. Simply, CBR will save a baby’s cord blood Free of Charge if there is a family member with a cancer, leukemia or sickle cell that will have a high likelihood of needing those stem cells. www.cordblood.com

Donating Cord Blood
Unfortunately, there aren’t many public banks available to receive donated cord blood. Many families would be happy to donate their child’s blood but are unable to. To find public banks, see: www.cordblood.org

What is HLA Typing?

HLA stands for Human Leukocyte Antigens. These are a group of genes on chromosome number 6 that are important in the way that our bodies recognize something that is foreign or different from our own cells.

Here’s an example:

It’s the way our body either accepts or rejects a blood transfusion, a stem cell transplant or the transplant of an organ.

• Bone marrow stem cell transplants usually require
5/6 HLA match.

• Cord blood stem cell transplants can tolerate as low
as 3/6 HLA match.

What is Engraftment?
This is the process by which transplanted stem cells home into the recipients bone marrow and begin to produce blood cells of all types. In the case of cord blood stem cells, they also can home into an area of tissue damage or disease and begin working to repair and grow new cells that will become part of that organ.

Describe rejection or what happens when there is a mismatch of cells
A mismatch leads to the rejection of the transplant and a condition known as Graft Versus Host (GVH) disease. In this case the new cells actually reject the person who received them and start “attacking” many cells and organs in the recipient. It’s very serious and can lead to death.

• Unfortunately this is a common complication of transplants from sources other than the person who needs the cells.
• When a person receives their own cells this is NOT a complication, and that’s why a child can use their own cord blood stem cells.
• Children who receive a brother or sister’s cord blood stem cells are much LESS likely to have GVH and their survival rates are higher than when they use donated stem cells from a non-family member.

Transplant Terminology

Autologous Transplant – The source of the stem cells is the patient themselves.

Allogeneic-Related Transplant – The source of the stem cells is a family member.

Allogeneic-Unrelated Transplant – The source of the stem cells is an unrelated donor.

A Medical Miracle

Are Cord blood stem cells proven to work?

Since the 1980s, Cord blood stem cells have been used with over 12,000 people. They have proven to be a safe and effective alternative to bone marrow transplants for both adults and children. Cord blood stem cells have many advantages without the controversy and possible negative side effects that accompany embryonic stem cells. In addition, they are easy to collect. There is only one chance to collect this valuable resource, which is within the first 10–15 minutes immediately following a baby’s birth.