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When a baby is born, the placenta and umbilical cord that attached the child to his or her mother are usually just thrown away as of no further use – when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. The blood they contain has unique properties. It can be used to replace damaged bone marrow or for research that could lead to the successful treatment of a host of other diseases and conditions. Cord blood contains high levels of stem cells that can renew bone marrow and can regenerate the immune system. Because they come from a newborn infant, these stem cells are ‘naïve’ and able to change, and this increases their potential for developing new treatments. Through research, cord blood opens up a whole new future of possibilities of tissue transplantation and regenerative medicine. What’s more, cord blood is easy to collect and there is no risk to the baby or mother. By saving cord blood for banking and research, We have teamed up with The Anthony Nolan Trust Cord Blood Bank who will be able to save the waste of this amazing resource, and save the waste of thousands of lives. They will be undertaking research primarily to improve the outcomes for transplant patients and improve life chances for those people suffering with blood disorders. Over the next five years they need £10 million ;
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