Quick dip

The independent articles identified below are written by doctors, scientists and other people outside Virgin Health Bank. Whilst we can answer your questions about Virgin Health Bank, we’re not able to comment on work done or things written by other people. These references don’t necessarily represent our views at Virgin Health Bank – they’re intended to help you understand stem cell storage. Thousands of other references exist that aren’t included here, and our comments on each reference are just to give you some useful pointers, they are not complete summaries of each article.

Untying the Gordian knot: policies, practices, and ethical issues related to banking of umbilical cord blood
Kurtzberg, Joanne; Lyerly, Anne Drapkin
J Clin Invest. 2005 Oct;115(10):2592–7

This paper from 2005 contains lots of information about both public and private cord blood banking. It discusses the ‘pro’s and ‘con’s of both types of bank, and reviews the development of cord blood banks around the world since the first one was established in 1991. It also discusses the uses for cord blood stem cells today, and mentions the possible future uses in regenerative medicine.

Umbilical cord blood transplantation and banking
Brunstein, Claudio G; Brunstein CG, Wagner, John E
Annu Rev Med. 2006;57:403–17

This paper from 2006 is another review of the use today of umbilical cord blood stem cells. It points out that around half the people that could benefit from a bone marrow transplant can’t find a matched donor. This is one reason why larger public banks of umbilical cord blood stem cells may mean that more people can be treated.

The key role of adult stem cells: therapeutic perspectives
Pessina Augusto, Gribaldo Laura
Current medical research and opinion 2006 Nov;22(11):2287–300

This paper reviews the ‘pro’s and ‘con’s of different kinds of stem cell, and talks about the possible future promise adult stem cells show for regenerative medicine in the repair of blood cells, skin, bone, cartilage and heart muscle. It’s an interesting review that provides one point of view about stem cells, and will help you to understand some of the challenges that scientists face in developing new stem cell treatments.