From waste to (fool's) gold: promissory and profit values of cord blood

The Temporal Politics of Placenta Epigenetics: Bodies, Environments and Time

This article builds on feminist scholarship on new biologies and the body to describe the temporal politics of epigenetic research related to the human placenta. Drawing on interviews with scientists and observations at conferences and in laboratories, we argue that epigenetic research simultaneously positions placenta tissue as a way back into maternal and fetal bodies following birth, as a lens onto children's future well-being, and as a bankable resource for ongoing research. Our findings reflect how developmental models of health have helped recast the placenta as an agential organ that is uniquely responsive to environments during pregnancy and capable of embodying biological evidence about the effects of in utero experiences after birth. We develop the concept of 'recursive embodiment' to describe how placenta epigenetics is reimagining relationships between bodies and environments across developmental, epigenetic, and generational time, and the impacts this has for experiences of pregnancy and responsibilities related to children's health.

Perspectives on establishing a public cord blood inventory in South Africa

The South African population is highly diverse, both ethnically and genetically. This diversity is particularly true for the African ancestry and various mixed ancestry population groups. These groups are under-represented in national and international bone marrow and peripheral blood donor registries, making it challenging to identify HLA-matched and mismatched unrelated donors when patients from these groups require allogeneic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell transplantation. In most high-income countries, banked cord blood (CB) units provide an attractive source of hematopoietic progenitor cells for genetically diverse populations. SA does not have a public CB inventory, leaving many patients without access to this important treatment modality. Haploidentical transplantation provides an alternative. In recent years, the use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide has significantly reduced the incidence of graft-versus-host disease after haploidentical transplantation and has improved transplantation outcomes. However, it is difficult to identify suitable haploidentical donors in SA because of family disruption and a high prevalence of HIV. Here the authors provide a brief historical overview of the ethnic and genetic diversity of the country and region. The authors provide a southern African perspective on HLA diversity, consider the allogeneic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell transplantation landscape and explore the need to establish a public CB bank (CBB) in SA. The health policy and regulatory frameworks that will impact on a CBB in the country SA are also explored. Finally, the authors discuss several matters we believe require attention when considering the establishment of a sustainable public CBB in the South African context.

Identifying Barriers to Umbilical Cord Blood Banking in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Obstetricians

Background: The expansion of umbilical cord blood (UCB) banking necessitates a greater understanding among obstetricians in order to responsibly inform parents about UCB collection and storage. Gaps in knowledge can compromise public UCB banking efforts and result in missed opportunities and public misguidance about UCB banking. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was disseminated among obstetricians in Amman, Jordan. The questionnaire aimed to evaluate obstetricians' knowledge of and attitude toward UCB storage and applications, as well as current practice patterns. Results: Ninety-six obstetricians responded (55% response rate), most of whom were Jordanian (71%), female (83%), resident physicians (59%), and working in either private (43%) or public (42%) hospitals, with an average of 6.5 years in practice. Only 26% had personal experience in UCB collection, and 20% had received education on UCB collection. Nearly 75% said their hospitals lacked standard operating procedures, guidelines, or infectious disease screening for UCB units. Overall knowledge about UCB was moderate, and the internet was the most common information source (54%). Overall attitudes were positive, especially in desire to expand personal knowledge about UCB, integrate information into medical residency curricula, and establish a public UCB bank in Jordan. However, many believed that ethical (61%) and religious (56%) controversies surround UCB donation. Conclusion: This study identifies deficiencies in quality control and experience in UCB collection in Jordan, as well as areas of inadequate knowledge and ethical controversies among obstetricians. These issues contribute to public misinformation and limit public UCB donation programs, and requires improved medical education on this topic.

Rethinking Value in the Bio-economy: Finance, Assetization, and the Management of Value

Current debates in science and technology studies emphasize that the bio-economy-or, the articulation of capitalism and biotechnology-is built on notions of commodity production, commodification, and materiality, emphasizing that it is possible to derive value from body parts, molecular and cellular tissues, biological processes, and so on. What is missing from these perspectives, however, is consideration of the political-economic actors, knowledges, and practices involved in the creation and management of value. As part of a rethinking of value in the bio-economy, this article analyzes three key political-economic processes: financialization, capitalization, and assetization. In doing so, it argues that value is managed as part of a series of valuation practices, it is not inherent in biological materialities.

Banking Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) Stem Cells: Awareness, Attitude and Expectations of Potential Donors from One of the Largest Potential Repository (India)

Background

The concept of Umbilical Cord blood (UCB) stem cells is emerging as a non-invasive, efficacious alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells to treat a variety of blood and bone marrow diseases, blood cancers, metabolic disorders and immune deficiencies. Aim of the present study was to determine the level of awareness about banking UCB among pregnant women in India. We also assessed patient perception for banking of UCB and explored the patient expectations of banking UCB in future. This is the first study to assess current attitudes, in a sample population of potential donors from one of the largest potential UCB repository (India). Obtaining this information may help optimize recruitment efforts and improve patient education.

Material and Method

Present explorative questionnaire based survey included 254 pregnant women in the final analysis.

Results

We established only 26.5% pregnant women in our study population knew what exactly is meant by UCB. A large proportion (55.1%) was undecided on whether they want to bank UCB or not. Women were more aware of the more advertised private cord blood banking compared to public banking. More than half of the pregnant women expected their obstetrician to inform them regarding UCB. One-third of the women in our population had undue expectations from banking of the UCB.

Conclusion

Obstetricians should play a more active role in explaining the patients regarding pros and cons of UCB banking.