Uisneach Trust

Uisneach Trust is a proposal to establish a public umbilical cord blood bank in Ireland. Uisneach (navel as Gaeilge) is located in the centre of Ireland in Co. Westmeath at the junction of the 4 provinces and the name proposed for the cord blood trust anchored in history, already in tomorrow.
Why save cord blood?
Ireland is one of the few developed countries that does not have a public resource of Cord Blood stem cells for allogeneic (other persons tissue) transplantation and as a nation we can no longer continue to freeload off others when we need units for our own. Cord Blood is an exceptional source of adult stem cells, free from ethical and moral controversy, that can save lives. Furthermore, as a new era in cell therapy and regenerative medicine dawns, Ireland needs a bank of high quality stem cells so our researchers can advance new breakthrough therapies and take their place on the world stage. Thousands of children and adults worldwide need a transplant to help save their lives. Donating cord blood to the Uisneach Trust will offer more children and adults who have not found a donor their chance of a cure.
A bank of 5,000 cord blood units will provide much needed transplants for people all over the world and specifically for 30-40 Irish people saving potentially 15-20 lives every year!! Collecting, processing and storing cord blood stem cells, provides valuable research samples to the medical & scientific development on transplantation, cell therapy and regenerative medicine.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Uisneach
• Trust
• Umbilical Cord Blood
• Adult Stem Cells
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wartons Jelly
• Eurocord
• Eurocord-ed
• health

[workfoundfast]

It is way overdue that Ireland sets up a public umbilical cord stem cell bank along the lines of a blood bank. Finding a matching stem cell donor ought to be as accessible as a matching blood transfusion. We owe it to our children to divert resources towards providing them with a better future that they are now facing. We seem to have no problem squandering billions on temporary infrastructure that will not act a scaffold for anything of lasting value. Here is one opportunity to change the mold.