Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia of Spain have found themselves in the middle of a controversial debate after choosing to privately bank their baby’s umbilical cord blood at a US cord blood bank. Although the palace has not officially announced that the couple did bank the cord blood, media reports claim that the couple sent future queen Leonor’s umbilical cord blood to Cord Blood Registry in the US after her birth in October. Word of their actions has led to the renewal of debate over whether parents should be allowed to store their child’s cord blood with private companies rather than anonymously donate it for use in state-operated banks. Spain’s health ministry recently put a stop to private cord blood banks in the country, saying that they went against the principle of “fairness” in the universal healthcare system. According to the ministry: “Those private banks promise benefits exclusively to the person who deposits cells, unlike the public banks used to transplant cells to anyone in the world who needs it.” Proponents of private banks insist that banking cord blood is an option for everyone, thanks to the affordable prices, and that parents should be able to decide for themselves what they would like to do. Source: Dale Fuchs, Guardian.co.ukFebruary 13, 2006
Scientists Find New Cord Blood Stem Cells
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have identified new stem cells in umbilical cord blood that has the potential to regenerate nerve tissue after a stroke. While the majority of stem cells in umbilical cord blood are hematopoietic, and therefore can only produce cells normally found in blood, these newly discovered stem cells are similar to more primitive forms of stem cells. Primitive stem cells have the ability to produce a wider range of cell types. Senior researcher, Walter Low said: “We are excited by this discovery because it provides additional insight onto how stem cells can restore function in the brain after injury.” UPI.com
