Bill could increase umbilical blood use
Advocate say state supply source needed

umbilical cord blood stem cell storage

A bill that would lay the foundation for the state's first public umbilical cord blood bank soared through the state legislature this week.

AB 34, authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, was approved unanimously by the Assembly on Wednesday. In the Senate, it was supported 79 to 1.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has until Oct. 12 to sign the bill into law. He has not taken a position on it, and his office declined to comment on the bill Friday or say when he might considered it.

"Certainly the need is there," Portantino said of establishing a cord blood bank.

Right now, he said, "we're not harvesting cord blood, we're not saving the lives we should be saving."

Research has suggested that as many as 70 diseases could be treated with the stem cells extracted from umbilical cord blood.

Although private cord blood banks exist in the state, they are costly and cannot meet all of the growing demand, Portantino said.

"Not all patients do find a unit (of blood) in a timely manner," said Joseph Rosenthal, director of pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation at City of Hope in Duarte.

One of his patients, a child of mixed African-American

Advocate say state supply source needed
By Elise Kleeman, Staff Writer

Original Article From : http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_6902971