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August 20, 2001

Research: Cure

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Question from Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA:

I have read the previous responses to questions regarding saving cord blood. I am at a point where I soon must decide if we are going to invest in our daughter’s future by saving the cord blood of both her aunts’ babies. According to your website’s advice, I infer it would be a waste of money, but I have read other seemingly well-informed positions from researchers at Harvard and Indiana State that contradict the advice given by the Diabetes Team. How do I decide what to do?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

If you can afford it, I would definitely consider saving the cord blood. Stem cells are for sure in the future, not just of diabetes treatment, but also of many other disease conditions, no matter what current President may decide in the short term about embryonic stem cell research (and there is nothing that I am aware against cord blood cells or cord blood stem cells storage). However, as you can see, there is not a unanimous position even between scientists and doctors. Therefore you should consider all options. My position is that “the sure way to fail is not to try”. In this case, if you do not store these cells you’ll never be able to find out whether they will be useful in the future, at least in your daughter’s case.

CR