Law Will Expand Availability of Umbilical Cord Blood for Treatments.

The use of umbilical cord blood stem cells to treat and cure many diseases will be enhanced by the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act, passed by Congress after a seven-month delay and signed by President George W. Bush December 20.

"Not only has God in His infinite wisdom and goodness created the placenta and umbilical cord to nurture and protect the precious life of an unborn child," said bill sponsor Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), "but now we know that another gift awaits us immediately after birth, something very special left behindcord blood that is rich with stem cells."

The act will provide $79 million to obtain 150,000 more units of cord blood, which is expected to help treat up to 90% of patients who need the versatile cells. The blood is derived directly from placentas and umbilical cords donated by parents after their babies' birth, without harming the donor.

Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat thousands of patients suffering from more than 60 different diseases, including leukemia, Hodgkin's Disease, sickle cell disease, and thalassemia. Researchers also theorize that they may have the capacity to differentiate into other cell types, making them useful in the exploration of ethical stem cell therapies for even more diseases.

In addition, cord blood collection will be combined with the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry to create the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, which will serve as a single-access point for doctors and patients to find appropriate matches for treatment. The act also seeks to increase public awareness of donation, to collect units from different ethnic groups that will match more patients.

"We have been working on this bill since 2001, and I am thankful that treatments will now, finally, be made ...