Boosts Northeast Ohio's Bio Technology Community
CLEVELAND, Ohio - March 11, 2008 - The Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Cord Blood Foundation and its new Cleveland Cord Blood Center (CCBC), which started collecting umbilical cord blood in January 2008, offers Ohioans enhanced access to the precious cord blood stem cells that have become lifesavers for thousands of individuals with leukemia and other blood-borne diseases around the globe.
With cord blood collections now underway, new mothers delivering at Hillcrest Hospital have the option of donating their otherwise discarded babies' umbilical cord blood. As a public cord blood bank, the blood is collected and stored at no charge to the mother. The stored cord blood stem cells are available to those seeking a suitable stem cell match for treatment.
"Cord blood stem cells are virtually inexhaustible, easily obtainable and are less costly than stem cells obtained from bone marrow sources," explained CCBC Founder and Medical Director Mary Laughlin MD. "The good news is that cord blood stem cells are not only rising to the forefront as a preferred treatment of blood-borne diseases such as leukemia, but they also hold the promise of regenerative therapies for diseases ranging from heart disease to diabetes."
Non-controversial
Because cord blood stem cells would otherwise be discarded after the birth of full-term, normal babies, they are not affected by the ethical and political concerns surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells.
Dr. Laughlin, who performed one of the world's first successful umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants on an adult leukemia patient in 1993, is determined to ensure that the center's stored umbilical cord blood would be reflective of its diverse population.
Reflecting the Diverse, Uniquely Ohio Population
"We are dedicated to ensuring that the umbilical cord blood we collect will help serve the wide cross-section of ethnicity represented in Northeastern Ohio and throughout the state," Dr. Laughlin said. "There are definite advantages of having a cord blood collection and distribution center located in the heart of our community. The various ethnic populations represented in our area share commonalities that are not necessarily as evident in other areas of the country. The collection and storage of cord blood from those who share common heritages help enhance the chance that a suitable stem cell match can be located."
The Cleveland Cord Blood Center's focus on serving a more diverse population holds particular promise for the area's Hispanic, Asian and African-American populations which have been previously underrepresented in national adult registries.
In addition, the CCBC joins a national network of storage facilities aimed at increasing the supply of stem cell-rich cord blood.
The Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Cord Blood Foundation is a not-for-profit organization composed of three distinct areas of focus: the CCBC; the Goodman Leukemia Research Institute; and the Cleveland Look Forward Program.
The Cleveland Cord Blood Bank
CCBC was established to meet Ohio's unmet need for umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells for use in both transplants and research. Hillcrest Hospital, the first collection site, will soon be joined by Fairview Hospital. Discussions with other major birthing centers in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state are underway.
Following the delivery of a full-term newborn and collection of cord blood, a CCBC nurse collection coordinator at each hospital ensures that the cord blood is safely transported to the CCBC's 4,000 square-foot clinical facility in Warrensville Heights. At CCBC's clinical laboratory, the cord blood is assessed, tissue typed and frozen in a liquid nitrogen cryopreservation system at a temperature of 320 degrees below zero. The cord blood units are then listed in a national registry which can be accessed by transplant centers around the world looking for an appropriate match for patients.
The Northeast Ohio cord blood center is expected to add 20 biomedical jobs and enhance the region's ability to provide patients with suitable matched stem cells for treatment.
The Goodman Leukemia Research Institute
In conjunction with the work of CCBC, the Goodman Leukemia Research Institute will support new research investigators in established laboratories who focus on the diagnosis and treatment of leukemia. The ultimate goal is to increase success in the treatment of leukemia patients, including, if necessary, the transplantation of lifesaving cord blood-derived stem cells.
The Cleveland Look Forward Program
Mothers who donate their babies' umbilical cord blood will be invited to participate in The Cleveland Look Forward Program. This important program will collect medical information that will contribute to lifesaving research.
Over the course of the first five years following a baby's birth and cord blood donation, mothers will be invited to take part in a short telephone interview to obtain follow-up information about the donating mothers' and their infants' health. Incidence of autism, leukemia, diabetes, and cancer in donating infants, as well as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes in the donating mothers will be obtained.
Using state-of-the-art research technology, the secure information will be used in studies designed to identify mothers and infants at-risk of disease, as well as to use that knowledge to develop possible interventions or diagnose the disease early before their clinical symptoms arise.
The Cleveland Cord Blood Center (CCBC) collects, preserves and stores the umbilical cord blood of Northeast Ohio's diverse population; supports advanced research in maternal-child health; and offers education and training programs for those served. Located in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, CCBC is a public, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, supported by generous gifts from the Abraham J. and Phyllis Katz Foundation, and the Dr. Donald J. and Ruth Weber Goodman Philanthropic Fund. For more information, visit www.clevelandcordblood.org or call 1-866-922-3668.