|
Portuguese New Moms to be Asked to Donate Umbilical Cord Blood
Agence France Presse
09 May 2005
LISBON, May 9 (AFP) -
Portugal plans to set up a public umbilical cord blood bank later this year to provide stem cells as an alternative to bone marrow transplants in the treatment of certain types of cancer, officials said Monday.
Doctor Mario de Sousa, a specialist in reproductive health who is one of the organizers of the project, said that once the bank opens, hospitals will ask pregnant women for permission to remove the blood from their umbilical cords when they give birth.
It will take between five and ten years to build an adequate supply to meet demand, he told national news agency Lusa.
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 like leukenia and other diseases.
Unlike bone marrow, stem cells from cord blood can be frozen shortly after they are removed and can then be thawed and transplanted at short notice, an easier process than traditional bone-marrow donation.
De Sousa said only 20 percent of all patients who need a bone marrow transplant in Portugal currently are able to find a matching donor.
|
