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Codey Plan Will Bank New Supply of Stem Cells
By Laura Fasbach
The Record, Hackensack, N.J.
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
18 October 2005
Oct. 18--New Jersey is turning to newborn babies to advance stem cell research.
Acting Governor Codey will unveil a program today creating the first-in-the-nation storage bank for umbilical cord blood, which provide an ample supply of the coveted stem cells. Scientists can draw from the center's supply to conduct research and use them for the treatment of illnesses, such as leukemia.
Two non-profit community blood banks will serve as the storage bank under a pilot program Codey will create through an executive order, a Codey adviser said Monday. The umbilical cords will be donated with parents' permission.
Codey is to announce the program this afternoon at Community Blood Services in Paramus, the adviser said.
The action is part of Codey's goal to ensure that New Jersey offers "the total package for stem cell research," the source added.
Stem cells are blank, undeveloped cells found in embryos, umbilical cord blood, placentas and adult tissue. Scientists believe these cells can be engineered into just about any type of living cell. That has given researchers hope that by using stem cells, they can cure diseases such as diabetes and cancer and rehabilitate patients paralyzed by spinal cord injuries.
Some scientists argue that embryonic stem cell research offers the most promise. They say these cells -- found in the earliest stages of an embryo's development -- are the most elastic and adaptable for research.
Antiabortion groups oppose this method, arguing that destroying embryos -- a consequence of extracting embryonic stem cells -- is tantamount to destroying a human life.
They argue that adult stem cells and umbilical cord cells also hold great promise and are a morally acceptable alternative since neither requires the destruction of embryos. Although umbilical cords are often discarded after infants are born, their stem cells have the potential to cure various forms of leukemia and other diseases.
During his short tenure, Codey has made stem cell research a top priority of his administration, including plans to establish a world-class stem cell research center in New Brunswick and the promise of millions of public dollars for all forms of stem cell research.
Although state senators have approved the spending of $150 million in public funds to build a stem cell research center, a similar effort has languished in the Assembly. And an effort to seek voter approval on November's ballot to distribute $230 million in research grants also failed amid fears among Assembly Democrats that it would spur large numbers of conservative Republican voters to the polls in opposition.
Codey's executive order calls for creating a statewide public awareness campaign that would educate new parents on the scientific value of their babies' umbilical cord and placental cord blood. Parents would have the final say on whether they wanted to participate in the pilot program.
The state has enlisted the help of Community Blood Services and the Coriell Institute in Camden. Both research centers are accredited members of the National Marrow Donor Program.
Dennis Todd, president and CEO of Community Blood Services, said that stem cells from umbilical cord blood has so far been a "well-kept secret" from the public.
He said the governor's plan is a boon for public health and the state's research community.
"That really puts New Jersey way ahead of the competition," Todd said.
In recent years, private companies have cropped up offering parents the opportunity to store their infant's cord blood for a fee. The practice is billed as an insurance policy to protect the child from future illnesses he or she could acquire later in life.
But Todd said the advantage of creating a public bank is that scientists can help more patients, including minorities. As is the case for bone marrow banks, Todd said there is a need for stem cells from non-Caucasians.
Community Services has about 2,000 units of cord blood stored in its banks. Todd said Codey's pilot program could increase the number of units to 10,000 within five years.
Worldwide, Todd said there have been about 2,000 cord blood transfusions so far. But that number is likely to grow because cord blood transplants are ultimately more efficient than bone marrow transplants, Todd added.
"The more people realize they can donate cord blood rather than let it be thrown into the medical waste, the more banks there will be," Todd said.
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