Mixed race patients may have inherited a tissue type that is common in one of their parent’s ethnic group, and another tissue type that is common in the other parent’s ethnic group. The combination of these two common types is often uncommon.

The diversity of Hawaii’s population is the main reason Hawaii patients needing stem cell transplants have an especially difficult time finding matching donors.

Although founded to serve the people of Hawaii to fill the critical need for cord blood from multi-ethnic donors, HCBB has also proven to be a valuable resource for patients of Asian, Polynesian, or mixed ethnicity worldwide.

The Hawaii Cord Blood Bank is addressing an important need through its umbilical cord blood banking efforts, which help to increase access to transplant for minority patients in Hawaii and throughout the world.

Thanks to the hard work and devotion of hundreds of doctors and nurses who volunteer their time on our behalf, we offer cord blood donations at all five birthing hospitals on Oahu at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, The Queens Medical Center, Tripler Army Medical Center, and Castle Medical Center as well as on Maui at the Maui Memorial Medical Center.

​Our cord blood units are sent to our partners at Bloodworks Northwest in Seattle for processing and storage. Cord blood units collected by the Hawaii Cord Blood Bank are listed with the National Marrow Donor Program’s network of cord blood banks.
​
HCBB is a small organization, yet we have collected over 10,000 units and stored over 3,000 cord blood units of which approximately 87% of our cord blood units collected are from minority or multi-ethnic donors.

​Dr. Bernard THEBAUD presents
“Recycling Matters: Cord-Derived Stem Cell Treatment of Neonatal Diseases”
​
RECORDED:  Thursday, April 28th, 11 a.m. – Noon U.S. Central Time

​Dr. THEBAUDS’s research focuses on the clinical translation of stem-cell-based therapies for neonatal disease. Perinatal care has improved tremendously over recent generations.  Thus, the survival rate of premature children has likewise increased.  However, with this improvement in survival rates come new challenges.  Dr. THEBAUD sees this first hand in his work.

A premature infant faces numerous challenges in terms of organ development. One of the biggest challenges is protecting premature lungs from injury.

Premature infants are at risk of developing chronic lung disease or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The long-term consequences of early interference with lung development are not completely understood and there are no specific treatments to prevent complications of extreme prematurity.

Dr. THEBAUD and his team are on the cutting edge of stem cell biology and using stem cells to repair damaged organs.  In recent years, investigators have captured the repair capabilities of a variety of stem cells in experimental models of BPD. While it is clear that further pre-clinical studies are needed, this webinar with Dr. THEBAUD will highlight the exciting potential for umbilical cord blood derived stem cell based therapies for the prevention or treatment of BPD and other complications.
​
Dr. THEBAUD’s sucesses in this area of research are leading to promising results with patients; yet, challenges still remain. He will discuss this and more during our next Share the Science.