The largest cord blood bank was inaugurated in the city Thursday to allow the storage of stem cells from the blood of umbilical cords, immediately after a woman gives birth.

The blood found in umbilical cords contains hematopoietic stem cells, a type of stem cells that can be vital in the treatment of blood and immune diseases. Research shows that these cells can be used in transplant therapy to treat 80 diseases, leukemia among them.

The new cord blood bank, owned by Cordlife, can hold stem cells for 50,000 babies.

Apart from the newest, Hong Kong has three other private cord blood banks with the capacity to store these cells. The storage period has a duration of 18 years and its charge ranges between HK$28,000 and HK$30,000.

Many do not know that the different types of stem cells found in the umbilical cord have multiple benefits. Although, different types of treatments are still in the clinical trial phase, it is well known that mesenchymal stem cells, for example, have the potential to repair tissue and modulate immunity. These cells, which derive from embryonic connective tissue, and have the potential to differentiate into various other types of cells, can be utilized to treat stroke and Type 1 diabetes. Two of the four blood banks in Hong Kong have storage services available for mesenchymal stem cells.

The latest bank addition to Hong Kong will also be able to store another type of stem cells: epithelial. These stem cells have the potential to treat wounds that are difficult to heal, which often happens in the aftermath of severe burns. Epithelial stem cells are also useful in therapy for organ regeneration and procedures to replace corneal membranes.

"Cord blood banking is becoming popular all over the world, including Hong Kong, but personally, I don't recommend people do this," said Raymond Liang Hin-suen, professor of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Hong Kong.

Liang says that the odds of a person's own cord blood working in treatment are slim. "For genetic diseases, one's own cord blood is not a good choice," he said. For example, in the treatment of leukemia, doctors usually choose other people's stem cells for transplantation to get better anti-cancer effects, says Liang.

He says that he has never heard of a case in which a person was cured of disease by using cells from his or her own cord blood.

Emily Cheung Wai-yee, the general manager for Cordlife, however, said there is one such case, which happened in Singapore in 2009 when a girl was cured from cerebral palsy with her own cord cells.

In Hong Kong, public hospitals do not provide a collection service for the private storage of cord blood. Therefore, pregnant women, who would like to save cord blood cells (or any other embryonic cells found in the post-birth umbilical cord) for future health emergencies in their children's lives, must make prior arrangements to deliver in private hospitals. This, however, they must understand, carries a much higher financial cost.

"Not everybody can afford this choice," said a young parent in a parenting online forum. The parent had abandoned the idea of storing cord blood cells because of limited financial resources.

Among those who can afford the choice, many find that the benefits are worth the potential cost, which are, essentially, to possibly ensure the health of their future babies.

"Since I already know about this service, I am willing to buy peace of mind. If there is any misfortune, the cord blood could save my baby's life," stated a young mother in the forum.

Some bet on the development of medical technology in the future. "Stem cell biology is just emerging, in the future there may be many more illnesses that can be cured by cord blood cells," said a father-to-be in the forum.

(HK Edition 03/19/2010 page1)