Springfield, IL - The Governor recently signed legislation that will establish a statewide network of cord blood stem cell banks. Senate Bill 19, sponsored by State Senator Michael Frerichs (D-Gifford), passed the Senate earlier this year with unanimous bi-partisan support. The public act authorizes the Illinois Department of Public Health to coordinate cord blood banks from around the state.

"Cord blood stem cells are a wonderful alternative to embryonic cell," said Senator Frerichs. "This new legislation will encourage researchers to further investigate the potential stem cells have to treat diseases."

For many years, the umbilical cord and placenta have been discarded following the birth of a baby. It is now known that cord blood is rich with stem cells that can be used for scientific research and medical treatment without using human embryos. "It is incredible that creating a new life can extend the life of another," said Senator Frerichs.

Stems cells collected from postnatal tissue have already shown promise resulting in new treatments for leukemia, anemia, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, sickle cell disease, spinal cord injury, lymphoma, and Crohn's disease. The creation of a statewide cord bank network would collect 2,000 to 4,000 donations per year according to the Illinois Department of Health.

"Stem cells from umbilical cord blood could potentially have the same regenerative qualities as embryonic stem cells without drawbacks such as tumors," said Frerichs. "However, the stem cells would not involve the destruction of the embryo."

This legislation would make banked stem cells from cord blood more readily available, which is critical to people who suffer from severe cases of leukemia, anemia or immune deficiency. People with these diseases might otherwise die before a match can be found.

Additionally, cord blood is less likely to contain certain viruses than stem cells taken from adult bone marrow. These viruses can pose a significant risk to transplant recipients. Studies suggest that cord blood may even have a greater ability to generate new blood cells than bone marrow. There are nearly ten times as many blood-producing cells in cord blood than in bone marrow meaning fewer cells are needed for a successful transplantation.