Comments on: The Cord Blood Cure http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/ The Shortest Distance Between You and Science Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:25:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Neeraj http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-4322 Neeraj Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:20:49 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-4322 So what are your thoughts on Stem Cell Research? is it worth the life saved for the "life" sacrificed. So what are your thoughts on Stem Cell Research? is it worth the life saved for the “life” sacrificed.

]]> By: Cinthya http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-3082 Cinthya Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:16:40 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-3082 I have an aunt in mexico with a bad liver autoimmunity and bone loss, and her doctors have her on very strong medication that basically knock her down. I am pregnant now and would love to know if banking my son's cord blood could possibly cure her or help her. I have an aunt in mexico with a bad liver autoimmunity and bone loss, and her doctors have her on very strong medication that basically knock her down. I am pregnant now and would love to know if banking my son’s cord blood could possibly cure her or help her.

]]> By: Ellen Williams http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-1983 Ellen Williams Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:19:08 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-1983 My son has cerebral palsy. He is 22 years old. I don't think they were saving cord blood in 1986. Is there a chance cord blood could help him? What research has been done on cord blood and young adults with CP? My son has cerebral palsy. He is 22 years old. I don’t think they were saving cord blood in 1986. Is there a chance cord blood could help him? What research has been done on cord blood and young adults with CP?

]]> By: Peter Laforteza http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-1562 Peter Laforteza Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:29:25 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-1562 Dear Dr Hollands, I recently heard of cord blood as cure for cerebral palsy.My 9 year old son's got microcephaly.Will it also cure microcephaly? Thanks, Peter Laforteza Dear Dr Hollands,
I recently heard of cord blood as cure for cerebral palsy.My 9 year old son’s got microcephaly.Will it also cure microcephaly?

Thanks,

Peter Laforteza

]]> By: Mary-Jean le Roux http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-1036 Mary-Jean le Roux Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:52:13 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-1036 About 16 years ago when I was 7 years old,I had lymphatic cancer. No one in SA would have believed that adults can survive I'm glad that tegnology has advanced so much and adults can survive. Iam studyng microbiology -biochemistry at the Potchefstroom university and have a very large passion for cancer research and would like to know more, please! About 16 years ago when I was 7 years old,I had lymphatic cancer. No one in SA would have believed that adults can survive I’m glad that tegnology has advanced so much and adults can survive.

Iam studyng microbiology -biochemistry at the Potchefstroom university and have a very large passion for cancer research and would like to know more, please!

]]> By: Kristina Fiore http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-575 Kristina Fiore Fri, 08 Dec 2006 19:44:29 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-575 Hi Nikki, According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there is no treatment available for MS patients involving cord blood cells. Researchers are still experimenting with regular bone marrow transplantation as a treatment for MS. Here's the link: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sourcebook-UmbilicalCord.asp --Kristina Hi Nikki,

According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, there is no treatment available for MS patients involving cord blood cells. Researchers are still experimenting with regular bone marrow transplantation as a treatment for MS.

Here’s the link:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Sourcebook-UmbilicalCord.asp

–Kristina

]]> By: Nikki http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-567 Nikki Tue, 05 Dec 2006 01:16:28 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-567 Hi- I was wondering if the cord blood could be used to help cure MS? If so, can it be used for adults that are deep into the MS syptoms? Thank you for your time! Nikki Hi-

I was wondering if the cord blood could be used to help cure MS? If so, can it be used for adults that are deep into the MS syptoms? Thank you for your time!

Nikki

]]> By: Dr Peter Hollands http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-195 Dr Peter Hollands Mon, 02 Oct 2006 12:12:05 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-195 Dear Antonio, Thank you for these interesting questions. Once frozen and stored for family use a cord blood unit is available immediately at the request of the parents in collaboration with the hospital or transplant untit associated with the proposed treatment. Doctors are well aware of the use of cord blood stem cells although I have to admit that some doctors still need convincing. The public, the media and of course scientists like myself jave a big role to play here. There ar of course other sources of stem cells such as from the patient him/herself (peripheral blood and bone marrow) and from bone marrow donors. These stem cells must be an exact match to the recipient. There are also excellent public cord blood banks providing cord blood units for trasnplant to anyone in need. There have been around 6000 cord blood stem cell trasnplants to date for 45 different blood diseases. These transplants are mainly to siblings and parents when considering privately stored units. The chances of trasnplant of a private unit to the baby itself are around 1:20,000 and the the rest of the family around 1:10,000. The risk is therefore low but the potential benefits if needed are high. The cost of cord blood storage in the USA is, in my opinion, far too high. Prviate companies seem to be making massive profits in this area. My own company, www.cordbloodbank.com, has fees as low as possible to enable anyone who wishes to store privately to do so. The treaments themselves, using ocrd blood stem cells, are no more expensive than the same treatments using bone marrow. You may find www.parentsguidecordblood.com useful. Best wishes, Peter Dear Antonio,

Thank you for these interesting questions.

Once frozen and stored for family use a cord blood unit is available immediately at the request of the parents in collaboration with the hospital or transplant untit associated with the proposed treatment. Doctors are well aware of the use of cord blood stem cells although I have to admit that some doctors still need convincing. The public, the media and of course scientists like myself jave a big role to play here.

There ar of course other sources of stem cells such as from the patient him/herself (peripheral blood and bone marrow) and from bone marrow donors. These stem cells must be an exact match to the recipient. There are also excellent public cord blood banks providing cord blood units for trasnplant to anyone in need.

There have been around 6000 cord blood stem cell trasnplants to date for 45 different blood diseases. These transplants are mainly to siblings and parents when considering privately stored units. The chances of trasnplant of a private unit to the baby itself are around 1:20,000 and the the rest of the family around 1:10,000. The risk is therefore low but the potential benefits if needed are high.

The cost of cord blood storage in the USA is, in my opinion, far too high. Prviate companies seem to be making massive profits in this area. My own company, http://www.cordbloodbank.com, has fees as low as possible to enable anyone who wishes to store privately to do so.

The treaments themselves, using ocrd blood stem cells, are no more expensive than the same treatments using bone marrow.

You may find http://www.parentsguidecordblood.com useful.

Best wishes,

Peter

]]> By: Antonio Franco http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-194 Antonio Franco Mon, 02 Oct 2006 08:26:33 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-194 My wife and I are considering saving the cord blood of our first child. Can I assume that if we were to need the use of this resource it would be easily accessed and doctors in my community would be educated enough to use it properly? Are we ready for the average US working class family to go to this expense and benifit from it's uses with costs of converting it into useful treatments that are affordable? My wife and I are considering saving the cord blood of our first child. Can I assume that if we were to need the use of this resource it would be easily accessed and doctors in my community would be educated enough to use it properly? Are we ready for the average US working class family to go to this expense and benifit from it’s uses with costs of converting it into useful treatments that are affordable?

]]> By: Dr Peter Hollands http://www.scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/comment-page-1/#comment-187 Dr Peter Hollands Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:03:43 +0000 http://scienceline.org/2006/09/27/health-fiore-cordblood/#comment-187 Dear Maureen, There is ongoing research on the use of cord blood stem cells in the repair of the liver. These will probably be used in the long term for non-malignant liver disease such as sclerosis. If your brother is due to recieve high dose chemotherapy in the future which would damage his own bone marrow then cord blood stem cells could be used to repair the bone marrow after chemotherapy. There os also ground breaking research by Professor Habib and his team at Imperial College in London UK. He is using mobilised bone marrow stem cells, collected from the patient, in liver repair. I am sorry that I cannot be more definite at this stage but rest assured everyone in the stem cell world is working as hard as possible to help people like your brother. Best wishes, Peter Dear Maureen,

There is ongoing research on the use of cord blood stem cells in the repair of the liver. These will probably be used in the long term for non-malignant liver disease such as sclerosis.

If your brother is due to recieve high dose chemotherapy in the future which would damage his own bone marrow then cord blood stem cells could be used to repair the bone marrow after chemotherapy.

There os also ground breaking research by Professor Habib and his team at Imperial College in London UK. He is using mobilised bone marrow stem cells, collected from the patient, in liver repair.

I am sorry that I cannot be more definite at this stage but rest assured everyone in the stem cell world is working as hard as possible to help people like your brother.

Best wishes,

Peter

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