The Facts about
Cord Blood
All of us at CorCell would like to give you a
big CONGRATULATIONS on your new baby!
Now that you are expecting, you have probably
heard about saving your baby’s cord blood from
your friends, your family or (hopefully!) your
doctor.
But what
is
cord blood, and more
importantly,
why
should you save it? There is a
lot of information, and misinformation, about
this amazing source of stem cells.
We hope that our
Facts about Cord Blood
ebook will help demystify cord blood for you.
Best Regards,
About CorCell:
CorCell™ is a private Cord Blood Banking Program based out of Las Vegas, NV.
We have been saving baby’s umbilical cord blood since 1995 because we strongly believe in the healing power, both current and future, contained within umbilical cord blood.
Families trust our commitment to quality, which is why over 25,000 of them bank with us. If you would like to learn more about how cord blood stem cells can potentially save your baby’s life, please call us at anytime at 888.882.2673.
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Intro to cord
blood……….5
The history of cord blood ……….…11
How cord blood is used in
medicine………...…....16
The future of cord blood………….…….28
Cord blood banking options…….………35
Cord blood myths ……….……...44
CHAPTER 1:
99% of umbilical cords are thrown away at
birth8
The umbilical cord connects the baby to the
placenta and provides vital nutrients throughout the
pregnancy.
Cord
Blood
Stem Cells
When a baby is born, the
remaining blood in the
umbilical cord contains a
rich source of
hematopoietic
stem cells,
and the surrounding cord
tissue is a potent source of
What is a
Stem Cell
?
Stem cells are the building blocks of the body. Your skin, nerves, bones and joints were all built by stem cells during development.
There are two types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells. Cord blood contains the latter.
The Facts about Cord Blood
Types of
Stem Cells
Embryonic stem cells are the earliest type of stem cell. Human embryos reach their embryonic stem cell phase 4-5 days after fertilization, and the
collection of these stem cells results in the destruction of the embryo. This raises ethical issues concerning their use. CorCell™ does not store these stem cells.
Adult stem cells are found in the body after development. They replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues.
Adult stem cells can be found in the umbilical cord, placenta, and bone marrow.
Umbilical cord blood contains Hematopoietic Stem Cells that produce cells of the blood system.
Hematopoietic
Stem Cells
The Facts about Cord Blood
The gold within Cord Blood Hematopoietic stem cells are
the building blocks of the body’s blood and immune systems. They are commonly found in bone marrow as well as cord blood.
These cells can differentiate into:
•Bone Cartilage
•Cells for Blood Vessels •Blood Cells
•Muscle Cells •Nerve Cells
So what does this mean?
Cord blood stem cells have the potential to rebuild and repair bone cartilage, muscle cells, red blood cells, white blood cells, nerve cells and more. The most common treatments using Cord Blood are: •Cancers
•Blood Disorders •Metabolic Disorders •Immune Diseases
With stem cells on the forefront of medical advances, this list is expected to grow.
CHAPTER 2:
1974: Cord blood identified as a source of stem cells
1988: First cord blood transplant
1992: First private and public cord blood banks
1993: First cord blood transplant from unrelated donor
1997: Studies show a higher survival rate when using
cord blood cells from a relative1
Cord Blood
Timeline
1995: The CorCell™ program is founded
2001: Cord blood is shown to be an alternative to bone
marrow for adults needing a stem cell transplant
1983: Proposed use of umbilical cord blood as an alternative source of stem cells as opposed to bone marrow
1990: First use of cord blood to treat leukemia
1998: Cord blood transplant successfully treats sickle
cell disease
2003: Cord blood stored in 1985 (15 years) proven to be viable for use in transplant.
Cord Blood
Timeline Part 2
2011: More than 30,000 cord blood stem cell transplants performed worldwide
2006: Studies reveal that only 1 in 3 expectant mothers is
aware of cord blood banking2
2005: Doctors initiate clinical trial use of cord blood
stem cells to treat stroke, cerebral palsy, brain damage
2009: CorCell™ relocates to Las Vegas, NV. This places their
lab and company under one roof to provide superior service to customers.
2004: Pluripotent stem cells found in cord blood,
meaning it can possibly used for diseases that are not of the blood system.
2006: Estimated 7,000-8,000 cord blood transplants performed worldwide
2008: 12,000 cord blood transplants performed worldwide
2008: Odds of needing a hematopoietic stem cell transplant
using one’s own cells estimated to be 1 in 400
The Facts about Cord Blood
2005: 6,000 cord blood transplants performed worldwide
The first cord blood transplant was performed 1988 to treat a patient diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia,
complicated by Aplastic Anemia.
The patient’s unborn sibling was found to be an HLA match, and this sibling’s cord blood was collected and frozen at birth.
The patient received low doses of irradiation and received a transplant of the sibling’s cord blood stem cells.
The transplant rebuilt the patient’s blood system and was a success. Since then, over 30,000 cord blood transplants
have been performed.
Today, cord blood hematopoietic stem cells can be used to treat over 80 diseases.
CHAPTER 3:
How Cord Blood is used in
Medicine
Currently, over
80 Diseases
Treated with
Cord Blood
•Acute Leukemias •Chronic Leukemias •Myelodysplastic Syndromes
•Stem Cell Disorders •Myeloproliferative Disorders
•Phagocyte Disorders •Platelet Abnormalities •Plasma Cell Disorders
•Plasma Cell Disorders •Lymphoproliferative Disorders •Inherited Metabolic Disorders •Histiocytic Disorders •Inherited Erythrocyte Abnormalities •Inherited Immune System Disorders
The Facts about Cord Blood
Transplant Medicine
:
Treatments Available
Metabolic Disorders •Krabbe Disease •Hurler Syndrome Blood Cancers Leukemia Lymphoma Myeloma Solid Tumors Neuroblastoma Immune Disorders SCID Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Blood DisordersSickle Cell Anemia Aplastic Anemia anconi Anemia)
The Two Types of Transplants
Autologous Transplant
Allogenic Transplant
A stem-cell transplant using blood from a donor, such as a sibling or unrelated donor.
A stem-cell transplant using ones own stem cells such as those found in cord blood.
The Facts about Cord Blood
Why Doctors Use
Cord Blood
Using one’s own cord blood guarantees a 100% match.
If using a donor, cord blood may not have to be as close a tissue match required for a bone
marrow or peripheral blood transplant.
Cord blood units are frozen, stored and ready to use. Finding an unrelated marrow or peripheral blood donor may take too long, and minorities have a much lower chance of finding a match within public cord blood banks.
The stem cells in cord blood are attracted to areas of injuries by signals given off by the cells inside of the body.
Cryogenically frozen Cord Blood
can still be used after 25 years in years in storage and may be useful
indefinitely
Who can use
cord
blood
stem cells?
Your Baby
Because it is his/her own stem cells, your baby is the first person who can benefit from banking their cord blood.
It is important to know that some genetic diseases cannot be treated with one’s own stem cells because the cells themselves are coded with the genetic problem.
Brothers and
Sisters
Siblings have a high
chance of being a match
when it comes to
cord
blood
transplants.
Who can use
cord
blood
stem cells?
The Facts about Cord Blood
Siblings have a 25% chance of being a perfect
match, a 50% chance of being a 50/50 match,
and a 25% chance of not being a match. A
50/50 match is usually enough for most cord
blood transplants.
HLA Matches
Learn more about HLA matching here. When two people who share the same HumanLeukocyteAntigens, their tissues and Cord Blood are compatible with each other.
Who can use
cord
blood
stem cells?
The Facts about Cord Blood
Stem Cell Transplants
Diseases that Destroy
Bone Marrow
Diseases such as:
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Leukemia
Multiple Myeloma Aplastic Anemia
All destroy bone marrow, which is essential for your blood and immune systems.
The diseased bone marrow is destroyed using
radiation and/or chemotherapy. From there, stem cells are transplanted, and they rebuild the host’s bone marrow and blood systems.
Other diseases that require
chemotherapy, such as cancer, may
also require a cord blood stem cell
transplant because blood cells are
destroyed.
Learn More
about
Transplants
The Facts about Cord Blood
Cord Blood
Infusions
For some treatments, a Cord Blood infusion is used. Because of stem cell’s ability to find and repair
damaged tissue, Cord Blood is infused into the body. The cells find the site where the damage is and go to work.
CHAPTER 4:
2013:
Cord blood
is
used in over 500
clinical trials for
future therapies.
AUTISM
1 in 88 children are diagnosed with
Autism in the United States
4Evidence suggests that in some children,
autism may be caused by a dysfunctional
immune response that may affect normal
development of the nervous system.
6The stem cells found in umbilical cord
blood may be able to regulate this
immune deficiency.
Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injury is the leading
cause of disability and death in children
and adolescents nationwide.
Every year, 564,000 children are treated
for brain injuries in the Emergency
Room, and 62,000 children with brain
injuries are hospitalized.
5CEREBRAL
PALSY
Cord blood reverses Cerebral Palsy in Colorado Girl First Successful Treatment of Pediatric Cerebral Palsy with Autologous Cord Blood: Awoken from a Persistent Vegetative State
Umbilical Cord Blood Therapy Potentiated with Erythropoietin for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Leading cause of childhood onset disability The use of Cord Blood in Cerebral Palsy cases have been very promising. Check out some success stories below:
DIABETES
15,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s own immune system destroys and attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Due to Cord Blood’s ability to rebuild the immune system, it has been seen as a potential therapy for the disease.
As of 2012, stem cells from Cord Blood
successfully “re-educated” the immune system of patients afflicted with type 1 Diabetes so that the pancreas could once again produce insulin.
And More…
Medicine evolves at a rapid pace,
and the research into future stem
cell therapies is promising.
For more information about
current Cord Blood clinical trials,
visit
CLINICALTRIALS.GOV
Private Banking
vs.
Public Banking
The Facts about Cord Blood
Private Banking:
Banking a baby’s umbilical cord privately means that the stem cells are stored for the family’s future use. A kit provided by the private bank is provided, the cord blood is collected by the doctor, midwife or nurse and is stored in the private facility.
Public Banking:
Banking publically means that the baby’s umbilical cord blood is donated to a public bank. The family
voluntarily gives up all rights to the cord blood for the public good in case an unrelated person needs a cord blood transplant.
Advantages of
Private
Banking
100% match for baby
It’s the baby’s own stem cells. The baby will not have to rely on waiting for a donor match to get a stem cell
transplant. This is especially important for minorities who may not find a match in a public bank.
Family access
Parents may be able to access their baby’s cord blood should the baby or a family member need treatment. As stated before, transplants among family members have the highest success rate.
Future therapies
The stem cells are stored away and can be used for future therapies because the family retains control of the stem cells.
Customer service
The private company can be contacted at anytime regarding the banked stem cells.
Disadvantages of
Private Banking
The Facts about Cord Blood
It’s not free
Cord blood banking costs between $1,000 and $2,500 to process followed by a yearly storage fee of around $125 a year.
However
CorCell, however, offers extremely flexible payment plans to meet a family’s budget. Families can
choose their own monthly payment. Click here for a quote.
Certain Genetic Disorders
Some genetic disorders cannot be cured using one’s own cord blood because the genetic defect that caused the disorder remains in the stored cord blood.
However
If a sibling doesn’t have the disorder, then their stem cells may be able to be used to replace the defective genes in their sibling.
Advantages of
Public
Banking
The Facts about Cord Blood
It’s free
The cord blood is donated for a good cause.
It can save a another person’s life
The blood doesn’t go to waste
The stem cells found in cord blood are very valuable, but cord blood is discarded in 99% of births.8
Disadvantages of
Public Banking
Rights to the stem cells are given away
The stem cells go to the public, and there is no
guarantee that the child will be able to use his
or her own stem cells should the need arise.
No guaranteed match
Up to 40% of the 15,000 people who need a
stem cell transplant every year cannot find a
match.
3This number is even worse for
minorities, who have an even lower chance of
finding a cord blood match.
The Facts about Cord Blood
The Majority of Collected
Cord Blood is Thrown Away
7
Public banks test the blood extensively to ensure that it meets the requirements necessary for
transplant, such as regulatory and volume requirements.
Because of this, public banks will throw away between 70 and 80 percent of the collected samples.
The cost of storing these stem cells also contributes to the high discard rate.
However
This is not entirely bad since the stem cells are being held to transplant standards, which are more strict than in a private bank.
No Cord Tissue (
Mesenchymal
Stem Cell
) storage
The medical community has realized the potential of a second type of stem cell found within the umbilical cord.
These adult stem cells, or Mesenchymal Stem Cells, are found in the cord tissue and can build different cell types than cord blood.
CorCell™ offers cord tissue stem cell storage alongside cord blood for expecting families.
CHAPTER 6:
Cord Blood Myths
Myth 1:
Stem cells have no
practical use today.
Fact:
As established from
evidence, stem cells
derived from cord blood
have been used since 1988
to successfully treat
patients with often
incurable diseases.
Myth 2:
Cord blood collection
and delayed cord blood
clamping do not go together.
Fact:
It is possible to collect
cord blood in such situations.
CorCell does not recommend
any healthcare provider
change their birthing practices.
Myth 3:
Our family does not
have a history of illness and
won’t need cord blood
Fact:
Over
1 million people
have been treated using
hematopoietic stem cells.
Experimental treatments in the
regenerative fields are
compelling reasons for storing
your baby’s cord blood.
Myth 4:
Banking cord blood
privately can be up to $15,000
Fact:
Banking umbilical cord blood ranges
from $1,500 to $2,800 for processing depending
on the bank and averages $125 dollars per year.
CorCell™ not only has the
best pricing
, but we
believe that banking should be affordable for
every family, which is why we offer
Flexible
Payment Plans Based on Your Budget.
Page 48
Did we miss something?
Please feel free to call us at
888.882.2673
if you have
any questions about cord
blood and/or cord tissue
banking.
Our trained team of cord
blood specialists is always
more than happy to assist!
How much
will this
cost?
The Facts about Cord Blood
CorCell
Pricing
Comparison
Page 52
Save on
Cord Blood
Banking
with
CorCell
Get a quote
Getting a price quote from CorCell can save you
$100 or more. Simply choose a monthly payment
that is affordable for you, and we’ll do the rest!
Save on
Cord Blood
Banking
with
CorCell
Insurance Partners: You may be eligible for
preferred pricing depending on your insurance. Find out more here.
Military: We recognize the service and sacrifices
military families make for our country and freedom.
Police and Firefighters: We regard the service and
sacrifices police and firefighters with high esteem.
Multiple Births: If you are expecting more than one
baby, we offer special pricing.
Referral Rewards: If a friend referred you to
CorCell™, you can save $200 on your enrollment fee. If you refer a friend and they become a customer, they will save $200 and you will receive a $200 Visa cash card.
Page 54
If you’re interested in learning more
about how cord blood can protect your
family, call us at 888.882.2673.
888.882.2673
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Page 56
Med. 1997;337(6):373-381.
2. Harris DT. Expert Opin. Biol. Ther. 2007 Sep;7(9):1311-22. 3. Cord Blood Transplantation. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
http://www.fhcrc.org/en/treatment/treatment-research/cord-blood-transplantation.html
4. Autologous Cord Blood Stem Cells for Autism. Sutter Health Neuroscience. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01638819 5. Head or Brain Injury. Boston’s Children’s Hospital.
http://www.childrenshospital.org/health-topics/conditions/head-or-brain-injury
6. Mother’s Immune System Might Play Role in Certain Cases of Autism. MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138532.html
7. Why is Cord Blood Banking so Expensive? Parents guide cord blood.
http://parentsguidecordblood.org/newsletter_archive/newsletters_2012-09.php#cord_banking_cost
8. New Postpartum Trend: Mailing in Your Cord Blood. Time Magazine.
