Brasília - Tomorrow (24), in São Paulo, the Ministry of Health will announce the creation of a national public network of stem cell banks, the BrasilCord. The intention of the government is to create collection and storage centers for cells obtained from umbilical cords in various regions of the country, starting with São Paulo and Rio. The National Cancer Institute, in Rio, will house one center, which already has 700 umbilical cords. A partnership between the Albert Einstein Hospital, the University of São Paulo (USP), and the University of Campinas (Unicamp) will enable a center to be created in São Paulo.

The banks will store stem cells obtained from the umbilical cords of newborns, provided maternal authorization is given. Immediately after birth, blood is collected from the umbilical cord and submitted to various processes of separation. The stem cells are stored in tanks of liquid nitrogen until they need to be used by patients.

According to the physician, Cláudio Lottenberg, stem cells should provide the solution for various diseases: cardiovascular disorders, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and blood diseases. "Stem cells are already widely used as an alternative to bone marrow transplants, with excellent results," Lottenberg affirms.

Prior to the discovery of stem cells, bone marrow transplants were the most common form of treatment in cases of leukemia. This type of surgery is more expensive and involves greater risks, especially for donors. For this reason, the number of Brazilian bone marrow donors does not exceed 72,000. Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that the ideal would be 2 million.

Another advantage of stem cells is their greater adaptive capacity, when compared with bone marrow. Information from the Albert Einstein Hospital suggests that around 20 thousand umblical cords would be sufficient to cover the country's entire genetic spectrum.

In São Paulo's Heart Institute (Incor), doctors apply stem cells directly to patients suffering from cardiac insufficiency and hypertension. According to Edmar Bocchi, who is in charge of the research, the results are encouraging. "If the positive data are confirmed, this type of treatment can help a large number of people, principally patients who need transplants," he concludes.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Lilian Macedo
Translator: David Silberstein
09/23/2004