Richard Branson Launches (Cord blood banks) Virgin Stem Cell Bank
Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson has launched a dual private and public blood bank of umbilical cord blood as a source of stem cells to help treat donors or their families and other people who might need it. [click link for full article]
Frances Verter's first child Shai died before reaching her fifth birthday following a lifelong fight with cancer. When her second and third children were born, Verter decided to collect and store the blood from their umbilical cords, an option increasingly being presented to expecting parents around the nation.
Placental/umbilical cord blood is a rich source of precursor cells capable of differentiating into mature blood cells. These precursor cells are known as hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and can be used to replenish the bone marrow in patients with blood-based malignancies such as leukemia.
Frances Verter's first child, Shai, died before reaching her fifth birthday after a lifelong fight with cancer. When her second and third children were born, Verter decided to collect and store the blood from their umbilical cords, an option increasingly being presented to expecting parents around the nation.
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By DANIEL MARTIN Health Reporter SIR Richard Branson has launched a business offering parents the chance to store their child's stem cells. For a one-off payment of Pounds 1,500, the Virgin Health Bank will keep the cells after they are collected at birth from the umbilical cord.
