Every time a cord blood unit leaves ViaCord for use – it’s a meaningful event. It represents the hope and potential of providing treatment for a family’s loved one. Recently, ViaCord marked the release of the 150th unit for therapeutic use. Recognizing this milestone is significant for many reasons:

Nearly 80 treatable diseases and growing
Research has made incredible progress, uncovering new and effective treatments for disease and chronic illness using cord blood stem cells. In the last 20 years, the number of diseases that can be treated with cord blood has grown significantly. In 1988, only one condition was treatable. Today, cord blood stem cells have been used successfully in the treatment of nearly 80 life-threatening diseases, including cancers, blood disorders and immunodeficiencies.

Emerging therapies – offering great hope and future promise
There is increased demand for cord blood units as a result of emerging treatments for such illnesses as cerebral palsy (see Lillian’s story ) and Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. It is believed that as research continues to expand uses  for cord blood stem cells (read the recent CNN report on heart disease), the odds of a person receiving a stem cell transplant is 1 in 217.  *

ViaCord’s Sibling Connection program helps families in need
ViaCord is proud of its partnership with the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), a world
renowned research hospital, and to expecting families in need.

Over three years ago, CHORI sought a partner to take over its case-of-need program—a program which helps expecting families who currently have a child who could benefit from a cord blood stem cell transplant. After a selection process, CHORI chose ViaCord. The combined program, called The Sibling Connection, provides ViaCord’s cord blood collection and  storage for five years at no cost to expecting parents who have a child who may be in need of a stem cell transplant. ViaCord also partners with NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program) to provide processing to qualified families who need a near term transplant for a sibling.

We are proud to say, as a result of these valuable relationships, The Sibling Connection program, has already helped 4,000 families.

At ViaCord, marking the release of our 150th unit for therapeutic use holds great importance for us. But as much as this milestone gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past and look toward the promise of cord blood stem cells, it ultimately reminds us that 150 families have been able to treat illness and disease in a loved one. And at the end of the day, that’s what means the most.

*Source:

1. Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, “Odds of Using Banked Cord Blood.”
http://parentsguidecordblood.org/content/usa/medical/oddsofuse.shtml?navid=33 referencing the study:Nietfield J.J., Pasquini, M.C., Logan, B.R., Verter, F., and Horowitz, M.M. Lifetime probabilities of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the U.S. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. 2008;14:316-322

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