We came across this interesting website dedicated to the science around stem cells and bone marrow.  This is always a challenge since it’s not always clear whether these sites are above board, or just shills for cord blood companies.  www.Chxa.com reports that Duke University received $10 million from the Robertson Foundation, a family foundation started in 1996, to aid in the study of umbilical cord stem cells in the treatment of cerebral palsy.

Many of us are familiar with the name of Dr. Joanne Kurtberg whose work with stem cells is renown in the race to treat cancers and other disorders, particularly those which plague children.

Read about the donation and what the Robertson family believes Duke can accomplish with this support

We often come across corroborating evidence that  matching bone marrow for African Americans and mixed race families continues to be an uphill battle.  The stories of young people who suffer through grueling treatments because a match cannot be found are heart-breaking. 

If you are reading this, and you are African American, of mixed race origin, or even part of an ethnic community with a small population in the US, please think of registering in the bone marrow registry.  In the article referenced above a nurse retells how her colleagues nearly dragged her kicking and screaming to register. Ultimately, she was a match and was able to donate.

It really makes a difference.  Please consider this if you haven’t already registered. And don’t take my word for it!  See our previous posting on Shaq and see what he says!

As we know, finding a match for a bone marrow transplant is so difficult, and this is particularly heart-wrenching when the recipient in need is a child.  Here’s a story of an 11-year old boy suffering from a relapse in his leukemia, and who has just received a cord blood transplant when a match was found while he was waiting for a bone marrow match.  The family is watching his recovery and hoping the cord blood match will restore their son’s health. Read more.

BPA, or Bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical  used to manufacture a range of plastic products, including water bottles and the lining of food and beverage cans and, yes, sippy cups. The chemical is now also found in an overwhelming majority of Americans, and a recent study found traces of it in 90 percent of infant cord blood.

BPA exposure has been linkedto disruptions in the endocrine system, an issue that can cause reproductive, neurological, and behavioral problems. But he federal government has yet to make a final decision on whether low level exposure to the chemical is a threat to public health.

The government is plannig to spend $30 million to investigate the risks associated to exposure to BPA, but since the feds are taking so long to rule its safety, states such as Wisconsin and Washington State have  taken the matter into its own hands and has voted to ban BPA

Some of the tips include discarding scratched baby bottles and cups that contain BPA, and avoid putting boiling hot water in any container that contains the chemical. 

Other smart tips for limiting exposure to BPA are in this article.  Until we know more, let’s take care!

You gotta see this.  It’s charming and compelling.  It’s great when celebs chime in to encourage us to do the right thing.

We wrote about BeTheMatch.org a few weeks back.  It’s a drive to get people to register to donate their bone marrow if they are a match with an ill person.  There’s a big campaign going on in the New York area to drive donors. Shaq’s YouTube clip spreads the word!

See it here:

http://www.tonic.com/article/shaquille-oneal-be-the-match-bone-marrow-donor-campaign/

I read a blog today – wow, what a mouthful!  It’s written by a popular blogger in Singapore but it has just about every argument known to mankind about banking cord blood.  I almost believed she worked for one of the banks but I couldnt find any link or advertising. Here’s the blog entry on cord blood banking.

http://mathialee.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/cord-blood-banks-scam-science-or-matter-of-faith/#comment-2548

In it, there was reference to slick and sleazy cord blood banks and how “buyer beware” is the name of the game. She writes from Singapore so I don’t know what the regulations are in that market.  I posted this response about the US :

“In the US, the cord blood banking processing and storage requirements are regulated, so any bank that’s AABB accredited and is processed in an FDA (Federal Drug Administration – a government oversight agency) follows the same protocol. So, in most cases, a parent-to-be can confirm if the bank under consideration has those accreditations. Then, it’s up to pricing. See http://www.parentsguidecordblood.org for information (including pricing) for cord blood banks globally. Though I work for MAZE Cord Blood Labs, that website is not ours; it belongs to a scientist who lost a child to a disease that cord blood transplant could not cure. Dr. Verter has synthesized the international cord blood scene with great care.”

You should check out parentsguide too.  It’s quite informative and rich with perspective.