US to set up national databank of umbilical cord blood

The United States will set up a national databank of umbilical cord blood and bone marrow to enable a quicker process of finding matches for patients needing them.

President George W. Bush signed the legislation Tuesday after its approval at the Senate by voice vote on Dec. 16. The House voted 431 to 1 in favor of the bill in May. The bill had been stalled because of a congressional argument over a plan that would lift restrictions on stem cell research, which Bush has threatened to veto.

The databank to be established is expected to increase the number of cord blood units available for matches to 150,000, which could meet the need of 90 percent of the patients. The bill will provide 79 million US dollars in federal funding for the purpose.

The bill also reauthorizes the national bone marrow transplant system, and integrates it into the cord blood databank.

Source: Xinhua