Richard Branson to Launch Virgin-Branded Stem Cell Storage Facility

Is this a good thing? Can it be used for only the person who has it stored or all people? Sorry i dont know that much about the topic?

Link.

I'd say that its up to Branson to decide who gets to use it, he'd get to dictate what researchers can do with the material (within the law of course) and possibly even make patent claims and the like on the material.

This shows why its a mistake to limit federal funding on stem cell research. Private individuals are still going to fund it, and who knows what they are going to do with it. Its entirely up to them to sell any medical products from it, and at whatever price they want.

I somehow doubt that Branson is going to be a jerk about it, but still.

From what I know about this, the blood is held in storage for a fee for your exclusive use if you need it later in life. The placenta contains stem cells that, hopefully in the future, could be used to regenerate organs, body parts, nerves etc.

And it's obviously better to use your own cells than cells from another person.

[edit on 2/1/2007 by djohnsto77]

So this is just a storage centre? They wont be doing any research into stem cells?

I'm sorry, I misunderstood. This is a cord blood facility. I thought Branson was starting a private stem cell technology research laboratory.


Cord blood storage is becoming very popular. It can be stored for around 14 years or so, but I think its something like $1K a year ( I could be wildly wrong on that though, so ifanyone knows for certain please correct me).

So when your kid is born, you have the umbilical cord and whatnot drained of blood, which is stored. This blood has your babie's stem cells in it. If they end up having leukimia, or developing bone cancer, or anything that can be treated with stem cells, bang, you've got 'em.

They wouldn't be able to do research with that material, because it'd be the private property of the person storing it there, they are paying for a storage service. Its possible that he could say that a percentage of it must be avaiable to the facility for research purposes, as part of the contract, so who knows. But the primary purpose of these things is to have a place to store your child's cord blood for potential medical treatments of that child.