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Article: Cord Blood Registry: Banking Stem Cells is a Popular Gift for Year 2000.
- Article from:
- PR Newswire
- Article date:
- December 30, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 PR Newswire Association LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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SAN BRUNO, Calif., Dec. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the newest industries to blossom out of the biotech boom is umbilical cord blood banking. Since 1988, doctors have been using umbilical cord blood instead of bone marrow to treat a variety of cancers and serious illnesses. Cord blood, which is usually thrown away with the placenta after the umbilical cord has been cut, is a rich source of stem cells, the "mother" cells that reproduce and create the human blood and immune system.
In 1995, private (family) banks began offering their services to expectant parents. By collecting and freezing their babies' cord blood instead of throwing it away, new parents are able ...