Due to the many potential benefits of the CD34+ stem cells found in cord blood, umbilical cord blood storage is now a viable option for expecting parents who want to secure their family’s future health. Despite this, the umbilical cord and placenta – itself a rich source of potentially lifesaving stem cells – are discarded in 99 percent of all child births across the globe. This prevents countless parents from securing any benefits that might be gained from harvesting and storing the stem cells they contain.

Every year, around 9000 people are diagnosed with diseases or conditions that can be treated through stem cell transplants. Unfortunately, almost 70 percent of these patients are unable to find a suitable stem cell match from public cord blood banks. This makes it practical to store a baby’s cord blood, which has a significantly higher chance of providing matching stem cells for the baby and its family members.

LifebankUSA® is the world’s only cord blood bank to offer the unique Placenta-Cord banking service, which collects CD34+ stem cells from both the umbilical cord and placenta. Banking from two sources doubles, on average, the amount of potentially lifesaving stem cells of umbilical cord blood storage alone. Visit LifebankUSA.com or call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA for more information.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells have proven effective in treating approximately 80 potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions to date, including various cancers and immune system disorders. Billions of dollars are allotted on research to expand the use of stem cells to treat ailments that still lack sufficient therapies today.

According to a recent study, one in every 400 Americans who banked their cord blood would need a transplant of their own stem cells within their lifetime, even in the absence of medical breakthroughs in the coming years. This 1-in-400 chance is likely to improve as scientific innovations are expected to further the use of cellular treatments for more diseases and conditions.

This possibility underscores the importance of investing in cord blood banking by families with a history of potentially life-threatening or debilitating ailments. LifebankUSA® offers more information on umbilical cord blood stem cells and provides a unique way of banking more lifesaving stem cells. To learn more, visit LifebankUSA.com or call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA.

There are standard practices that every umbilical cord blood bank follows to prolong stem cell life in its cord blood units. Differences in preservation techniques also exist among these storage facilities, including the depletion or retention of red blood cells in the cord blood units before cryopreservation (freezing).

The separation of red blood cells from the beneficial CD34+ stem cells reduces the need for post-thaw washing, a procedure which can reduce the amount of stem cells available in a unit. And higher amounts of stem cells have proven to increase the chances of treatment success and patient survival. In addition, red blood cell depletion decreases the possibility of blood type incompatibility, and thus lessens the potential complications when the stem cells are transplanted to a family member.

On average, LifebankUSA® produces cord blood stem cells that are 99 percent free of red blood cells. A high percentage of red blood cells in the final cord blood unit may lead to complications, especially when transplanted to infants. For more information on the leading umbilical cord blood bank, call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA.

Cord blood preservation is a worthy investment even for families without a history of cancer. Some people think that cord blood banking only matters if several members of their family have already fallen victim to cancer, but family history is not always an accurate determinant of cancer probability.

Cancer is among the many diseases today with an undefined cause, which means that it is generally not classified as an inherited condition. Leukemia, the most common cancer type among children and teenagers, is known to occur in individuals who don’t have a history of the disease in their families.

In addition, when cord blood stem cells are handled or stored properly, they can remain viable for a very long time. In fact, stem cells that were cryogenically preserved (frozen) for more than a decade have been successfully used to treat certain illnesses. With ongoing research, medical professionals are optimistic cord blood stem cell transplants may one day be able to treat many other ailments such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as certain cancers and immune system disorders.

LifebankUSA® is registered with the BBB and the FDA to offer leading cord blood preservation services. The company revolutionized cord blood banking with its unique Placenta-Cord banking service. For more information, visit LifebankUSA.com or call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA.

Cord blood stem cells have already proven effective in treating certain cancers, blood disorders, and other potentially life-threatening illnesses. Ongoing research may one day allow them to be used for treating diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, among other diseases and conditions for which there are no adequate therapies today.

It is because of this regenerative potential that many expecting parents choose to bank their baby’s cord blood. But parents can secure even greater peace of mind by preserving their baby’s placenta, which is also a rich source of CD34+ stem cells capable of providing potentially lifesaving benefits. Banking stem cells from cord blood and the placenta can double, on average, the number of CD34+ stem cells collected from cord blood banking alone. And having more of these stem cells available for treatment can improve the chances of transplant success and patient survival.

LifebankUSA® is the world’s only cord blood bank to offer Placenta-Cord banking, a service that provides expecting parents with the opportunity to secure both placenta and cord blood stem cells for potential future use. Learn more about this service by visiting LifebankUSA.com or calling 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA.

Cord blood stem cell banking offers potentially lifesaving benefits. But despite the increasing availability of public cord blood banks, greater peace of mind can only be secured by expecting parents who choose to bank their baby’s cord blood privately.

Approximately 80 potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions have already been treated through stem cell therapeutics. But treatment success often depends on the availability of CD34+ stem cells for transplantation.

Private cord blood banks can assure expecting parents that perfectly matched stem cells will be available for their baby should he or she need treatment in the future. And compared to public banks, private banks can provide a better chance of finding suitable matches for other family members and their potential future health needs. It may take public banks months to find suitable matches for those in need of a transplant, and there is no guarantee that they will.

LifebankUSA®, a private bank owned by the Celgene corporation, offers expecting parents a greater chance of securing future treatment options and improving treatment success for their family. Still the world’s only bank to offer both placenta and cord blood stem cell banking services, LifebankUSA® can bank roughly double the amount of CD34+ stem cells collected from cord blood banking alone. And greater availability of these lifesaving stem cells during treatment often leads to successful engraftment.

Billions of dollars are invested in cord blood stem cell research to further explore the lifesaving and life-improving benefits of CD34+ stem cells. To date, these stem cells have proven capable of treating around 80 potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions, including various cancers and immune system disorders.

Ongoing research is aimed at discovering new stem cell applications that can treat other debilitating ailments that presently have no adequate cures. These include diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injuries among many others. It’s possible that research may one day capitalize on the regenerative potential of CD34+ stem cells to treat these diseases and conditions. And that possibility only gives expecting parents more reason to consider cord blood banking as a viable option for preserving their family’s future health.

LifebankUSA®, a leading cord blood bank owned by multinational biopharmaceutical company Celgene, recognizes the value of cord blood stem cell research and remains committed to staying at the forefront of stem cell research and development. Its commitment has made it the first and only bank to collect and preserve CD34+ stem cells from two distinct sources: cord blood and the placenta. Placenta-Cord banking collects more CD34+ stem cells than cord blood banking, and more stem cells can increase or improve a family’s future treatment options.

An increasing number of expecting parents are considering banking their baby’s umbilical cord blood to help ensure that potentially lifesaving treatments will be available for their family in the future. However, in order to prevent complications, the cord blood cell units need to be free from red blood cells.

The presence of red blood cells in cord blood holds no benefits and can in fact lead to complications when administered to a baby. Another important reason for requiring a high level of purity is that any additional processing done to remove red blood cells prior to transplant can decrease the number of available stem cells. Reducing the amount of red bloods in cord blood prior to storage will also decrease the possibility of incompatibility in the event that another family member requires the cord blood unit for transplant.

LifebankUSA® uses a process called red blood cell depletion so that cord blood cell units are 99 percent pure. To learn more about cord blood banking, visit LifebankUSA.com or call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA.

The CD34+ stem cells every cord blood bank preserves have treated over 80 potentially life-threatening diseases and conditions afflicting more than 10,000 patients to date. These stem cells have vast regenerative properties, and their availability during treatment is directly tied to the treatment’s effectiveness. Research shows that the availability of more CD34+ stem cells can improve transplant success and patient survival.

It is for this reason that a number of cord blood banks aim to collect large amounts of stem cells in hopes of granting expecting parents greater peace of mind. But before investing in a bank’s services, parents should be certain that the bank’s Total Nucleated Cell (TNC) count is not artificially inflated by the inclusion of nucleated red blood cells. The inclusion of these cells in a bank’s TNC may lead parents to mistakenly believe that more lifesaving stem cells will be available for their family’s potential future use. Even worse, stem cell units with high concentrations of nucleated red blood cells may even lead to complications when used to treat life-threatening diseases and conditions.

LifebankUSA® has cemented its status as a leading cord blood bank by offering stem cell units that are 99% red blood cell depleted, and giving parents the option of collecting more CD34+ stem cells through its unique Placenta-Cord banking service. This service can double, on average, the number of lifesaving stem cells collected from cord blood banking alone, thereby offering families a greater chance of future treatment success.

Parents who store their children’s umbilical cord blood stem cells can help ensure that potentially lifesaving stem cells will be available for their families in the future.

Today, the stem cells from the placenta and the umbilical cord blood can be banked so that if doctors choose to use the stem cells to treat an illness, these potentially lifesaving stem cells would be available. But the placenta and the cord blood can only be collected at birth. That’s why it’s important for expecting parents to know all of their cord blood banking options before delivery—so they can make the best decision for their families.

More than 10,000 patients have already been treated with cord blood stem cells for more than 80 known diseases. As research continues on other possible applications of stem cells, health professionals are optimistic about their potential future use. For more information on cord blood banking, visit LifebankUSA.com.

Stem cells from the placenta and the umbilical cord blood may be used to rebuild blood. Treatment outcome is based on many factors and results may vary. The chance that a child will use his/her own stored stem cells during his/her lifetime is estimated at 1 in 400 (J.J. Nietfeld and F. Verter). These odds may increase if there is a family history of certain blood disorders or cancers. The potential risks and benefits of stem cell transplantation vary and depend on many factors, such as the amount and quality of the stem cells collected, the HLA compatibility between recipient and donor, and the client’s overall health.