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Cord blood gives second chanceCord blood is found in the placenta and umbilical cord which is usually discarded after childbirth. It is rich in blood-forming haemopoietic stem cells which when transplanted can replace blood cells destroyed by chemotherapy. The Cord Blood Bank is a partnership between the Bone Marrow Donor Institute (BMDI), The Royal Children’s Hospital and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. It has helped more than one hundred people like five year old Milli Kerr-Crowley (pictured) who was diagnosed with leukemia at just six months old. After months of chemotherapy, an injection of cord blood from an anonymous donor quickly improved Milli’s health. Director of the BMDI Cord Blood Bank, Dr Ngaire Elwood also oversees the Leukaemia / Stem Cell Research Laboratory in the Children’s Cancer Centre. The research group is currently investigating the growth of cord blood stem cells, how to select suitable units for transplant and if other cells can be derived from cord blood. The group has recently made important discoveries about the DNA found in cord blood stem cells, which will provide a better understanding of how these cells grow and survive. The researchers are also collaborating internally and with the University of Melbourne to determine if cord blood stem cells can be used for repairing heart damage and growing lung cells.
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