Two cord blood transplant recipients cured of sickle cell disease and leukemia will join scientists from New York Blood Center (NYBC) to call on the Senate to help save the lives of thousands, who needlessly die each year waiting to receive bone marrow transplants, by passing the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act of 2005 (S681), at a Senate briefing on Monday, April 4, 12 noon to 1 p.m., Russell Caucus Room (SR-325).

At the event, Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) will give a brief introduction followed by a presentation from New York Blood Center experts on the life-saving power of cord blood stem cells. Cord blood transplant recipients Keone Penn, the first patient to be cured of sickle cell disease with a cord blood transplant from an unrelated donor; and Stephen Sprague, an adult cord blood recipient cured of leukemia; will be on-hand to tell their stories and discuss the patient perspective. Cord blood stem cells, obtained from the delivered placenta and donated by the mother, have been proven to successfully treat lethal malignant and genetic diseases. Cord blood is a non-controversial source of stem cells, which-unlike bone marrow-can be collected without risk of any kind to donors and can be kept frozen, in fully usable condition for many years.

The bill, recently introduced by Sen. Hatch and his co- sponsors Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), and has also received strong bi-partisan support in the House (HR 596). Passage of the bill would create a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network reflective of the ethnic diversity of our country, and allow up to 90 percent of patients to receive a well-matched cord blood unit. Passage of the bill would create a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network to build a ready-to-use inventory of at least 150,000 top quality units to make matched stem cells available to transplant patients of all ethnic groups. The legislation also enables cord blood units to be provided for peer-reviewed research.

WHO: NYBC President/CEO, Robert L. Jones, M.D.; National Cord Blood Program Director Pablo Rubinstein, M.D.; Transplant Recipients: Keone Penn and Stephen Sprague; http://www.nationalcordbloodprogram.org

WHEN: Monday, April 4 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Russell Caucus Room (SR-325)

PHOTOS AVAILABLE: High resolution, publication-ready photos from previous Cord Blood events supporting this event are currently available at: http://www.wirepix.com/newsphotos

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