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The Importance of Blood Donations
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Stem Cell Research
INTRODUCTION
A child is born everyday and without realizing it, the material that is routinely discarded after the birth could one day be life saving for that person, someone else in the family, or even a complete stranger. This material is the umbilical cord, and the blood contained within their vessels.
One may wonder, why is this blood so important? Medical research has discovered that the residual umbilical cord blood contains stem cells. These cells are the building blocks that the body uses to create some of the key components of the human immune system, blood and bone marrow. Stem cells are essential for life, they carry oxygen, fight infections and platelets that form clots on injured body parts. So if they are damaged at any point in life, either from a malignant, non-malignant or genetic disease a stem cell transplant may be required for medical treatment. Treatment will give the patient the ability to make healthy new blood.
Until recently, bone marrow – which is the soft substance inside the bones; and peripheral blood – which comes from certain blood vessels, was the only source of stem cells available for transplant use. These choices both require extensive operational procedures and carry a lot of risk for the donor. Umbilical cord blood has been called “An effective alternative to bone marrow transplant therapy” by the New England cord blood bank in Boston (Broxmeyer, 2001).
HOW IT STARTS
Collecting umbilical cord blood begins with a signature – the signed consent of the expectant parents, to give a blood donation from what is left in their newborn baby’s placenta and umbilical cord. They are whisked away immediately to the lab; there it hangs in an absorbent sling, suspended several feet above a lab table. Gravity drains the blood into a sterile collection bag (http://www.caner.umn.edu/page/research/cord2.html).
The collection process is very unpredictable, and is probably the biggest obstacle. Because the amount of blood collected in each birth varies, when it is performed, doctors and nurses hope for a “big collection”, which for them is only about 2 ounces. The more blood collected, the more stem cells there are available to grow new blood in another person. Time is another crucial factor. Research shows that immediately after the cord is cut, blood can start clotting and this reduce...
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...d 14 years post-transplant. (http://www.ahsc.arizona.edu/opa/crnap/dec95cnp.htm).
SOME DISEASES WE CAN TREAT THUS FAR:
• Hodgkin’s disease
• Multiple lymphoma
• Osteoporosis
• Sickle cell anemia
• Acute lymphocytic leukemia
• Aplastic anemia
• Juvenile chronic myelogenous leukemia
• Neuroblastoma
• Hunter syndrome
POLITICAL IMPACT
On August 9th 2001, President George W. Bush addressed the nation on the potential of the new therapies to cure diseases with embryonic stem cells. The President publicly commended and called for more federal funding of scientific research using stem cells from sources other than human embryos (www.redcross.org/news/cord/010810bushyes.html). The Red Cross plans to hold President Bush to his promise; they want to eventually operate collection sites in communities across the country and is part of ongoing research monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There are currently collection sites in Portland, San Diego, Oakland, Detroit, Washington D.C. Great Falls, Montana, Jefferson, Alabama and the University of Massachusetts in Boston. (www.redcross.org)
Cord clamping has long been practiced to occur immediately after birth of a neonate. There is much discussion and evidence based practice that shows improvements to health when we delay the clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord. Delayed clamping allows for more nutrient rich blood to flow to the infant’s body, which is going through shock at birth. Early clamping is generally done between 10 seconds after expulsion of the fetus to one minute , whereas delayed clamping ranges from two minutes until the cord finishes pulsating. The research collected will analyze early clamping and delayed clamping to see which practice is found to be healthier for mother and child.
Nowadays, there are many alternatives or any other methods to improve the healthcare especially in a transplantation world. There are few choices available for the people today such as the embryonic stem cells, bone marrow stem cells, peripheral blood cell and the most new is the umbilical cord blood. The umbilical cord blood (UCB) defined by Chima and Mamdoo (2011, p. 79) as the blood which taken from the cut umbilical cord attached to the placenta of a newborn baby after a delivery. It been stated (Chima and Mamdoo 2011, p. 79) that the cord derived from the allantois have a rich source of multipotent stem cells, including the CD34+ , CD38- and haematopoietic progenitor cells. This shows that the cord blood could be more potential as the bone marrow cell in the patients with the haematological or non-haematological problems. The first successful umbilical cord transplantation done was in 1989 in a child with a Fanconi’s anemia and since then, the growth or demand for the cord blood increased. As we can see, this contributed to a major reason for the need of umbilical cord blood donation, storage, processing, freezing, and releasing of cord blood to the patient. Thus, establishment of the cord blood bank (CBB) because of the demand increased (Ballen 2010, p. 8). As mentioned by Ballen (2005, p. 3786), the first establishment of cord blood bank was in the early 1990s in New York, Milan, and Dusseldorf. The storage of the cord blood could last for about 15 years (Fadel 2006, p. 1). The point is that there are many ethical and legal issues raised by this CBB that need clarification and justification like the informed consent, ownership and property rights, collection of cord blood, and public CBB vs private CBB.
The umbilical cord has a vital role in keeping babies alive in the womb but could help cure a range of diseases and injuries (2010, Weaver). The umbilical cord contains a rich souse of stem cells, which are valuable because they can regenerate and fix human tissue. Some cells also have the ability to turn into different types of cells. Scientist believes with these ‘master’ cells they will be able to treat a wide range of disorders such as cancer, auto-immune diseases and arthritis. Storing the cord blood of new born babies could be a lifesaver to children’s that may become sick in their young age or it may just be a waste of money in the end, with currently only 1 in 41,000 (1% ) Australian mothers have chosen to bank their child’s cord blood.
Stem cells are located deep down in our bone marrow. They have the incredible ability of “generating an endless supply of red cells, white cells, and platelets”(1). They have been called the “Mother of all blood cells” due to their ability to regenerate the entire blood supply of a persons body. Just to think that this is possible is actually pretty incredible. The man who claims to be responsible for the discovery of this gem is a immunologist from Stanford University named Irving Weissman, and his collaborators at SyStemix, (a biotech company that he cofounded in 1988, located in Palo Alto, CA). He and his company are so confident about these cells, not only have they obtained a government patent on the process by which these specific cells are separated from other cells, they have also patented the cells themselves. They have even convinced Sandoz Ltd. (a giant Swiss drug-and-chemical company) to purchase 60 percent of the stock for SyStemix for a reported 392 million dollars.
The New England Journal of Medicine (2005) states that a Cord Blood Transplant is when the blood from a newborns umbilical cord is taken and given to another infant. Healthy umbilical cord blood is new and has little to none bacteria or diseases that could harm someone. Usually the placenta and umbilical cord is thrown out, but in recent research it is found that the blood from the umbilical cord and placenta can help prevent or slow down Krabbe Disease. According to Escolar, Yelin, & Poe (2006) about 90% of the children that were used in their study for
Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an important source of haematopoietic stem cell now being used for transplantation. It contains stem cells that are unique; smart and are capable of treating several diseases such as haemoglobinopathies, leukaemia, immune system deficiencies and many genetic diseases4. However, until recently in most cases the cord blood was discarded as medical waste, although now it is considered the hidden treasures of life. Since the first successful UCB transplant to a sibling with Fanconi anaemia performed in 1988 and cord blood have established worldwide6. Consequently, cord blood stem cells are currently used in the treatment of nearly 80 devastating disorder and it holds out hope for incurable disease. To date more than
The idea behind this is that no harm is coming to the fetus or the mother in the case of a stillborn or a miscarriage or the use of cord blood. The umbilical cord is detached from the infant right after birth therefore using the cord blood and those stem cells would also not cause any harm to the infant. Stem cell research becomes unethical when fetuses are being aborted for the purpose of the stem cell research, this is not only risking the mother but also killing a human being (the
When parents-to-be arrive at the hospital to finally deliver the baby, the last thing on their minds is probably the umbilical cord. In most hospitals, physicians cut the umbilical cord shortly after delivering the baby, but there's no hard or fast rule as to when this should be done. It's a common practice and it's been used for hundreds of years. However, new studies are now showing that a quicker cutting may help a newborn's development.
What a wonderful gift that would be! In 2005, Dr. Fangmann, and his medical team performed a bone marrow ACS’s transplant on a young man who had been suffering from leukemia and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The donor of the bone marrow was the patient's father. The patient went into remission, but his kidneys were damaged from cancer and chemotherapy complications; the young man was on dialysis for three long years until his father then donated a kidney. The son accepted the new kidney from his father and the doctors discontinued the use of immunosuppressant medication. The young man had no further health complications since the follow-up 2011 case report (pg.156,157). Clinical trials using adult stem cells are continuing to expand, especially in kidney transplants. Standford University held clinical trials on 38 patients combining two different adult stem cell blood types with kidney transplantation, and only one patient required anti-rejection medicine post-surgery due to a lupus flare-up and not organ rejection. Furthermore, Stanford University’s study provides exceptional results concerning organ acceptance even when the donor and receiver do not have well-matched antibodies in their blood (Thornley.1-3). Moreover, a blood relative is not necessary for adult stem cell therapy and organ transplantation to be successful and the medical communities' involvement demonstrates no
Blood stains are one type of evidence that can be found at a crime scene. Blood that is still in the liquid form should be picked up on a gauze pad. Once the blood is dried thoroughly it should be refrigerated and sent to the Laboratory (Andrus et al., n.d., para. 1). If the blood stain is found dried on clothing, the officer should wrap the piece of clothing in clean paper and place it in a sealed and labeled container. An object with dried blood stains needs to be sent to the Laboratory if it is small enough. If the object is too large to send, then using a clean knife the stain needs to be scraped onto a clean piece of paper, which then can be folded and placed in an envelope (Andrus et al., n.d., para. 2). When collecting autopsy blood samples, the officer should request that the pathologist obtain the sample directly from the heart and place it in a yellow or purple stoppered vacutainer. If the victim is still alive but in serious need of a blood transfusion, then the pre-transfusion blood sample needs to be obtained promptly before the hospital discards it (Andrus et al., n.d., para. 4). It is important for the Laboratory to receive all blood samples within 48 ho...
Cut the umbilical cord represents the beginning of an independent life of newborn. There are umbilical cord clamps which combine the cord clamps with the knife. These clamps are safer and faster, allowing one to first apply the cord clamp and then cut the umbilical cord. After the cord is clamped and cut, the newborn wears a plastic clip on the navel area until the compressed region of the cord has dried and sealed sufficiently. The remaining umbilical stub
New technologies are being developed every day. The latest advance in fetal monitoring is the fetal oxygen monitor: “A device that directly measures fetal oxygen saturation during labor and delivery is now available and has the potential to reduce the number of Cesarean sections performed for non-reassuring heart rates.” (Mechcatie) The article by Mechcatie describes the monitor extremely well: “The device’s sensor, located at the end of a flexible tube, is made of pliable plastic and is inserted through the cervical os until it lies along the fetal cheek, where the pressure of the uterine wall keeps it in place during labor. The sensor shines light into the fetal skin and computes the oxygen saturation by measuring the color of the reflected light coming through the blood cells.”
I have given blood before and I am aware of the questionnaire and procedures used during the blood donation process.
To prove their point, scientists have broken down the basic facts of their studies throughout the last ten years. Embryonic stem cell transplantation is a related course of cells that are in charge of certain functions and systems of the body. The cells used in the transplantation process are contrived from "cryopreserved suspensions" from the fetal liver, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, brain, and the pancreas. Introducing these cells to the body can be approached in different ways. The first step taken is engrafting or multiplying cells in the affected area. These cells will then supplement missing or declining cells and replace/repair missing functions of the body. Production then commences with considerable amounts of biologically active substances such as nerve growth factor, tumor necrosis factor and interleukins etc. When these cells have been transplanted, they are capable of migrating, establishing intercellular links and responding to various effects. However, because of their immature transplantation to the human body, these cells cause a weaker immune response than mature cells.
The first successful case of stem cell therapy in human was reported in 1959. Bone marrow restorations were observed in leukemia patients who received total body irradiation subsequent by intravenous injection of their twins’ bone marrow (Thomas et al, 1957). Nevertheless, that effect was transient and the following bone marrow transplantation attempts in non-twin patients and donors can eventually lead to patient’s death from graft-versus-host disease (Mathé et al, 1965). During that time, the safety of hematopoietic cells transplantation was not guaranteed because of the limited knowledge in human histocompatibility and immunosuppression. However, the turning point came after the discovery of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) groups (Dausset, 1958; van Rood et al, 1958), HLA typing and compatibility testing were performed prior to the transplantation. In addition, the improvement of immunosuppressive protocol also helps bringing the bone marrow transplantation to become more and more successful (Donnall and Hutchinson, 1999).