Umbilical cord cells successful in Congress

On December 17, the House of Representatives voted to pass HR 2520--the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act--written by Chris Smith (R-NJ). The non-controversial legislation had passed the House in May by a vote of 431 to 1 and was slightly altered before passage by the Senate Friday night. The bill will now be signed into law by President Bush.

Umbilical cords are a rich, non-controversial source of stem cells. Currently hospitals throw millions of them away each year because the infrastructure required to properly collect and store them is not available. When signed into law by President Bush, the bill will increase the number of cord blood units and cord blood stem cells available for treating patients and expanding research will greatly increase.

The national program would promote stem cell research by requiring participating cord blood banks to donate units that are not suitable for transplant to researchers who are working on new applications for cord blood stem cells. In addition, for the first time, a nationwide stem cell transplantation system would be established.

Says, Smith, "One of the best kept secrets in America today is that umbilical cord blood stem cells and adult stem cells are curing people of a myriad of terrible conditions and diseases." Thousands have been successfully treated with cord blood stem cells for more than 67 diseases including Leukemia and Sickle Cell Anemia—hmmm, has the magic number (65) increased by two lately?

Anyway, it's nice to report some success in stem cell policy.

Marie Godfrey, PhD