Umbilical cord stem cells - opinions

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undesign

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I'm contemplating harvesting and storing the umbilical cord stem cells when our baby is born.

It is pretty expensive (approx R15k), but obviously worth it if ever applied successfully. My problem is that there are so many conflicting information on the internet, very vocal differences of opinion and also a lot of outdated info on the viability of successfully transplanting the harvested cells and the probability of ever needing it. I'm finding it very difficult to distinguish between facts and marketing.

On the one hand, I don't mind spending the money for a medically reasonable insurance policy for my child's future, but on the other hand it may be snake oil and a complete waste of money.

Has anyone done it or maybe contemplated doing it? I would like to hear your opinions.
 
Stemcells can be pulled from anywhere in/on the body.

Storing the umbilical cord is just a money making scheme.
 
http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/stem-cell-research.html

The only reason they use ubilical cords is because of :

Do embryos have to be used to harvest stem cells?
Not necessarily, the umbilical cord is being researched as an alternative source of stem cells that would sidestep some of the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells. There is also research into using tissue-specific stem cells from adult donors.
Click to expand...
 
I think you are confused Pitbull....

What you are suggesting is that it is easier to harvest stem cells from a dead embryo.
The only way you can get hold of a dead embryo is from an abortion or a misscarrage.
HUGE ethical issues with that.
 
Nerfherder said:
I think you are confused Pitbull....

What you are suggesting is that it is easier to harvest stem cells from a dead embryo.
The only way you can get hold of a dead embryo is from an abortion or a misscarrage.
HUGE ethical issues with that.
Click to expand...

Not 100% correct.

Read the second link. They have advanced the studies allot. They can get Stem cells from your bone marrow. And from human tissue. With that being said, the day they allow stem cells to be used in a way as discribed in the OP, the need for ubilical cords will be of no use - R 15k wasted. They will be able to harvest Stem cells from his own body to use for what ever cause.
 
Nerfherder said:
How much does it cost to harvest from your bone marrow ?
Click to expand...

No idea.

Fact is you can have it hervested when needed if ever. Instead of blowing R 15k on something you might never need or when you do they just say "Oops the samples are stale"
 
Pitbull said:
I'll find some quick, hold on. Busy sorting out my fines on Payfine :p
Click to expand...

do you actually have to pay these fines? :p

Pitbull said:
http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/stem-cell-research.html

The only reason they use ubilical cords is because of :
Click to expand...

Pitbull said:
More here:

http://www.isscr.org/science/faq.htm#2
Click to expand...

Not exactly sure what you are saying. What I gather is that the harvesting of adult stem cells in terms of effectiveness, isolating and getting sufficient volume is still very theoretical.

Umbilical cord blood cells is a slightly different proposition. This from a link on one of the sites you mentioned -

Despite its current official status as an experimental stem cell source, cord blood is now widely used as an alternative to bone marrow as a source of hematopoietic stem cells. There have been approximately 6,000 cord blood transplants throughout the world thus far. In the United States, one half of all stem cell transplants from unrelated donors in children now use cord blood. In Japan, this is true for adults as well. Our Program has provided cord blood units for transplantation to over 2,000 recipients to date--approximately one third of all cord blood transplants from unrelated donors worldwide. Most have been affected by leukemia, lymphoma, severe aplastic anemia, other lethal diseases of the blood or immune system or certain inherited metabolic diseases [See: Patients & Outcomes for a listing of all diseases treated].
Click to expand...
...link

From the same website, here is a list of deseases treated (and this was only in 2006) - http://www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org/patients/ncbp_diseases.htm

So I'm still not convinced either way! :(
 
SiriS said:
do you actually have to pay these fines? :p





Not exactly sure what you are saying. What I gather is that the harvesting of adult stem cells in terms of effectiveness, isolating and getting sufficient volume is still very theoretical.

Umbilical cord blood cells is a slightly different proposition. This from a link on one of the sites you mentioned -

...link

From the same website, here is a list of deseases treated (and this was only in 2006) - http://www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org/patients/ncbp_diseases.htm

So I'm still not convinced either way! :(
Click to expand...

Yes,

Listen to me it's the fact that you are charged R 15k for them to take some of your child's stem cells which is an issue to me. Stem cells are cultivated and grown from the Blood in the umbilical cord. They should be paying you for it not the otherway round. That is the problem I'm having with it.

There is alternatives to this as mentioned above. But the ball is still in your court. Remember that "donation" you make is not really kept for your child only.

It's like giving blood to the blood bank.
 
Pitbull said:
No idea.

Fact is you can have it hervested when needed if ever. Instead of blowing R 15k on something you might never need or when you do they just say "Oops the samples are stale"
Click to expand...

From what I understand you can only harvest stem cells from different organs in adults, whereas the umbilical cord has about 220 different stem cell types...I could be wrong....

Its all a bit testy though...theoretically they could grow or repair a liver for example from stem cells...Dunno...How much does it cost to harvest cells from an adult....And how much will it cost to defrost the stored stem cells and use them to generate/re-generate parts of the body...will medical aid cover this? medical aid will cover a transplant but you have to wait for that I guess...
 
Umbilical stem cells are awesome 'cos you can harvest them without "destroying souls" (honestly, what next?)

By way of opinion: religious fundamentalists should stuff off and live in isolation if science is their enemy... and I don't want no tears should you develop any kind of cancer - no chemo for you, go pray over it... oh and by the way: walk to church, the internal combustion engine is not for you either.
 
SlinkyMike said:
Umbilical stem cells are awesome 'cos you can harvest them without "destroying souls" (honestly, what next?)

By way of opinion: religious fundamentalists should stuff off and live in isolation if science is their enemy... and I don't want no tears should you develop any kind of cancer - no chemo for you, go pray over it... oh and by the way: walk to church, the internal combustion engine is not for you either.
Click to expand...

Pls don't turn this thread into a religious topic. It's all but that......

If he wanted your Religious input he would have posted this in the other section of this forum ;)
 
Pitbull said:
Yes,

Listen to me it's the fact that you are charged R 15k for them to take some of your child's stem cells which is an issue to me. Stem cells are cultivated and grown from the Blood in the umbilical cord. They should be paying you for it not the otherway round. That is the problem I'm having with it.

There is alternatives to this as mentioned above. But the ball is still in your court. Remember that "donation" you make is not really kept for your child only.

It's like giving blood to the blood bank.
Click to expand...

That's only in the US, where they have public banks. (And it is free iirc) I'm talking about private banks. In SA we have three options -

Cryo-Save
Netcells
Lazaron

The actual stem cells are harvested from the placenta.
 
SiriS said:
That's only in the US, where they have public banks. (And it is free iirc) I'm talking about private banks. In SA we have three options -

Cryo-Save
Netcells
Lazaron

The actual stem cells are harvested from the placenta.
Click to expand...

Ok, my question is this:

That Stem cells harvested from your child's placenta, is it for sole use to him only if needed? Or do they use it for research as well?
 
SlinkyMike said:
Umbilical stem cells are awesome 'cos you can harvest them without "destroying souls" (honestly, what next?)

By way of opinion: religious fundamentalists should stuff off and live in isolation if science is their enemy... and I don't want no tears should you develop any kind of cancer - no chemo for you, go pray over it... oh and by the way: walk to church, the internal combustion engine is not for you either.
Click to expand...

I do agree but yes that is another debate.

Its just better if you can get the same thing from an umbilical chord without harvesting abortions.

Imagine if people started selling stem cells ? Then having abortions so that they could sell the cells at R100k a pop ?

That is a but messed up...
 
SlinkyMike said:
Umbilical stem cells are awesome 'cos you can harvest them without "destroying souls" (honestly, what next?)

By way of opinion: religious fundamentalists should stuff off and live in isolation if science is their enemy... and I don't want no tears should you develop any kind of cancer - no chemo for you, go pray over it... oh and by the way: walk to church, the internal combustion engine is not for you either.
Click to expand...

Agree completely, but this is not the thread to discuss. Don't want them funnies swarming here :erm::p
 
Pitbull said:
Ok, my question is this:

That Stem cells harvested from your child's placenta, is it for sole use to him only if needed? Or do they use it for research as well?
Click to expand...

As far as I can tell it is exclusively for your own personal use.
 
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