What’s Old is New Again? Not in This Case!
You may have seen recent news coverage this month generated by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) challenging the value of private cord blood banking as a result of a small survey conducted with transplant doctors.
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What wasnt covered in these stories is the crucial fact that the survey, which was published in this months issue of the journal, Pediatrics, is not new. Its outdated. The data was collected in 2004 – five years ago! A lot has changed since then.
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Most importantly, stem cell science itself has changed. This survey data fails to reflect the pace of breakthrough progress researchers have made evaluating the benefits of infusing newborn stem cells from umbilical cord blood for therapeutic uses far beyond cancers and blood disorders. By releasing the old survey data now, the AAP has fundamentally ignored the changes taking place in stem cell medicine – as well as the important role of private cord blood banks in the process.
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The use of a childs own (autologous) cord blood stem cells has emerged as an important research focus for regenerative medicine – the ability to fix or regrow specific tissue in the body, such as nerve tissue in the brain or insulin-generating cells in the pancreas. Because autologous cord blood stem cells are safe and wont be rejected by the body – and because they have one-of-a-kind characteristics compared to other sources of stem cells – they’re an increasing focus of regenerative medicine research.
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This day, private banking remains the only way to ensure a family has access to autologous cord blood stem cells or those of a sibling. Its also important to know that there’s up to a 75 percent chance that a siblings cord blood stem cells can be a suitable match for traditional transplant therapies. In addition, a childs own cord blood might be the preferred option even for certain types of cancers. Since this survey was fielded, numerous autologous stem cell transplants have been performed for specific cases of leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and solid tumors.
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Another important change since 2004 is the number and types of physician specialists who are using autologous stem cells – including newborn stem cells from cord blood – for medical therapies. This survey reflects only the perspectives from hematologists and oncologists who have used stem cells for the treatment of many blood diseases and cancers. However, the past five years have brought many other doctor specialists and some of the most clinically challenging unmet medical needs to the forefront of stem cell medicine. Neurologists, endocrinologists and others are actively evaluating autologous cord blood to treat conditions such as brain injury, and type 1 diabetes, to name a few.
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What a difference five years makes.
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While concerning, its not surprising that the AAP published this survey. The academys current cord blood policy discourages family banking except in cases where a family member has a known medical condition that could potentially benefit from stem cell transplantation.
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However, while family history and existing medical conditions are excellent reasons to bank cord blood, many diseases treatable by cord blood stem cells occur in the absence of any family history and without an affected family member. Anyones health situation can change at anytime – sometimes unexpectedly. This is another key reason we believe the current AAP policy on cord blood banking is flawed. Our perspective was first published more than a year ago in an issue of The Journal of Life Sciences.
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Parents with kids suffering from ailments such as brain injury, cerebral palsy, or diabetes AND who have stored their childs cord blood in a family bank now have an option they didnt have five years ago: they have the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking medical research that’s showing encouraging potential to treat conditions that have no cure today.
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The bottom line its this: as clinical research continues to advance – and as more expectant parents select to bank their newborns cord blood stem cells – doctors will have the option of using these privately banked cord blood stem cells more often. Its happening already. In the last four years, the number of autologous cord blood units released by CBR for medical use has increased 140 percent – a strong indication of the emerging acceptance and use of autologous cord blood stem cells in regenerative medicine.
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A different survey fielded today would most likely offer a very different outcome.
individuals and couples to use tax-advantaged dollars to pay for umbilical cord blood banking services through flexible spending accounts (FSAs), health savings accounts (HSAs), health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) or the medical expenses tax deduction. 
It's worth a shot.rnThanks for trying 