Americord Registry Presents Abstract on Stem Cell Collection Method at 2011 COSTEM Conference and AABB Meeting

NEW YORK, Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Americord Registry, a leader in the advancement of cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation, announced today that Dr. Robert Dracker, Americord's Executive Medical Director, will present an abstract on a revolutionary cord blood collection method at the COSTEM Congress September 8-11, at Andel's Hotel in Berlin, Germany and at the AABB Annual Meeting, October 22-25, at the San Diego Convention Center.

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Dr. Dracker is a leading hematologist, transfusion medicine specialist and experienced blood and stem cell banking expert. His poster, "A Novel Method for the Collection and Processing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Human Umbilical Cord Blood and Stabilized Placental," will be made available at the poster session.

"This unique cord blood collection method makes it possible to preserve stem cells from a newborn's umbilical cord blood and the placenta, preserving up to 10 times more stem cells than traditional cord blood collection alone," Dr. Dracker said. "This development addresses the most significant limitation of traditional cord blood banking: the fact that it only preserves enough stem cells to treat patients who weigh up to 65 pounds on average."

This procedure, which will be employed by Americord for its cord blood and placenta banking services, is an advancement of an existing commercial technique that will make it possible to bank more stem cells than traditional cord blood collection alone. This advancement supports Americord's mission to reduce the limitations that are inherent to the cord blood banking industry.

"We are pleased to be able to present our findings at the COSTEM and AABB conferences and advance our efforts to preserve newborn stem cells for future medical treatment. This breakthrough method will provide more treatment options to a greater variety of patients than ever before at a time when new uses for cord blood are advancing at a rapid pace," said Americord President and CEO Martin Smithmyer.

COSTEM is an exclusive forum for international experts to share and compare experiences in order to outline the right treatment for patients. Topics include relapse prevention and treatment, donor selection and cell and gene therapy. The Congress is unique in its explicit focus on resolving controversies in the best clinical care of patients.

The AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) is an international, not-for-profit association representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies, offering standards, accreditation and educational programs for patients and donors, and provides the most prestigious accreditation for U.S. cord blood banks. Its membership consists of approximately 2,000 institutions and 8,000 individuals, including physicians, nurses, scientists, researchers, administrators, medical technologists and other health care providers.  

For more information about Americord Registry, or to speak with Mr. Smithmyer or Dr. Dracker, please contact Dana Taormina at 973-850-7305 or [email protected].

About Americord Registry

Americord Registry is a leader in the advancement of cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation. Americord collects, processes, and stores newborn stem cells from umbilical cord blood for future medical or therapeutic use, including the treatment of more than 75 blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia and leukemia.

Founded in 2008, Americord is registered for cord blood and placenta stem cell preservation with the Food and Drug Administration and operates in all 50 states. The company's laboratories are CLIA Certified, accredited by the AABB and comply with all federal and state guidelines and applicable licenses. Americord is headquartered in Manhattan, New York. To learn more, visit http://cordadvantage.com.

SOURCE Americord Registry