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Article: UMBILICAL BLOOD: UNTAPPED RESOURCE CONGRESS EYES A NATIONAL BANK FOR CORD BLOOD, WHICH CONTAINS STEM CELLS AND CAN HELP PEOPLE SURVIVE DISEASES.(FRONT)
- Article from:
- The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI)
- Article date:
- April 15, 2005
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Byline: Lauran Neergaard Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Blood saved from newborns' umbilical cords could help treat about 11,700 Americans a year with leukemia and other devastating diseases, yet most is routinely thrown away, a panel of influential scientists said Thursday in calling for a tripling of the nation's supply.
Cord blood is rich in stem cells, the building blocks that produce blood -- the same stem cells that make up the bone-marrow transplants that help many people survive certain cancers and other diseases. When frozen from cord blood shortly after a baby's birth, stem cells are ready to be thawed and transplanted at a moment's notice, much easier than ...