Does the transplant of umbilical cord blood is still experimental?
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The use of primary cells of cord blood for transplantation holds great promise but this area of medical science is still mostly experimental. Only in 1988, French researchers performed the first successful transplant with primary cells with cord blood. The transplant was taken from a newborn to a brother five years with a syndrome that included severe anemia skeletal defects (Fanconi anemia). Since then, cord blood donor with family relationship or wrongly, has been successfully transplanted into approximately 2,000 people worldwide. Doctors of the Mattel Children's Hospital of the University of California, Los Angeles, recently reported that three youths treated for life-threatening immunodeficiencies (lymphoproliferative syndrome linked to chromosome X and with Hyper IgM immunodeficiency) had normal immune systems two years after receiving cells primary umbilical cord donor without family relationship.
In 1998, the largest study ever conducted transplant of umbilical cord blood from unrelated donors kinship suggested that it was a feasible procedure for patients (adults and children) who did not have a donor with compatible relationship. The survival rates for patients who received cord blood or bone marrow donor without family ties were equal.
However, until they obtained the results of extensive additional studies, insurance companies and Medicaid still hesitate to cover the cost of storage. As a result, service in most cases is accessible only to those families who can afford it. It is highly unlikely that a child needs a transplant of cells or primary, if need to have that umbilical cord blood of one's own child is the ideal source of primary cells. Has not been proven yet whether a transplant using cells from the same primordial child is effective or even safe, especially for childhood cancers. For these reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not consider it prudent to store umbilical cord blood as a biological protection in the case of families who have no history of disorders mentioned above. However, the AAP and some other scientists are in favour of the collection and storage of cord blood in public banks so that it can be used by recipients without family ties who urgently needed a transplant of cells. This could be particularly useful for ethnic and racial groups that are underrepresented in the records of volunteer bone marrow.
March of Dimes is optimistic about the possibilities of treatment with umbilical cord blood and is evaluating the results of the investigations so far seem promising. However, parents who are expecting a baby should be well informed so that their choice is based on an advisory basis with qualified doctors.
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