Increase The Availability of Cord Blood Banking

In the UK, government funded facilities, such as the NHS Cord Blood Bank, collect cord blood from only eight public hospitals, free of charge to the donor. The potentially lifesaving product is then stored indefinitely for possible transplant. This unit is available for any patient that needs this particular special tissue type. Cord blood is rich in stem cells which are NON-EMBRYONIC and can be used to treat patients who are suffering from life threatening diseases, including:

Malignancies - a cancer of the blood, e.g. Leukaemia, lymphoma

Bone marrow failure - when bone marrow doesn't produce the cells it should

Haemoglobinopathies - a blood disorder e.g. Sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia

Immunodeficiencies - when the immune system doesn't work properly

Metabolic disorders - which affect the breakdown of waste products in the body

Scientific research in this field are constantly discovering more and more diseases and conditions that can be successfully treated with stem cells found in cord blood. For the transplant to be a success, stem cells taken from the cord blood must match the patient's tissue type as closely as possible.

So, for patients to have the best chance of a 'match', healthcare organisations worldwide need to store as many cord blood donations as possible, and they can't do this without help.