CLEVELAND, June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cleveland Cord Blood Center (CCBC) has just received notice from the Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program that it has been designated in a 3-year $2.1 million award to collaborate with Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic Foundation on the project, "Development of a Quantitative Analysis System for Stem Cells."

The Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program accelerates the development and growth of Ohio's key technology sectors, including Biomedical. The Program supports major capital acquisitions and improvements at Ohio's colleges, universities, and nonprofit research institutions, which in turn will support near-term commercialization objectives of for-profit Ohio companies, develops Ohio's next entrepreneurs, and connects our students with the technologies of the future. The program is designed for resulting projects to create wealth and employment opportunities linking research capabilities of Ohio's colleges, universities, and nonprofit research institutions with specific needs of Ohio industry within Ohio. This program supports long-term use of capital to promote educational and training programs for workers and students in these targeted technology sectors.

The Case-funded project seeks to develop and commercialize three products: Colonyze(TM) CryoViz(TM) and LeuCord(TM )to characterize non-embryonic umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells for clinical applications in hematology and regenerative medicine. ( )LeuCord(TM) (clinical cord blood units) is central to CCBC's intent to build a leading public umbilical cord stem cell bank for current treatment of patients with blood-related cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, inborn errors of metabolism, and sickle cell anemia.

Other partners on this state-wide Case Western Reserve University consortium project include: BioInVision, the University of Cincinnati, the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM), Athersys, Inc., Perkin-Elmer, Thermogenesis, Becton-Dickinson Biosciences (BDBS), General Electric Healthcare (GEHC), and Hospira, Inc

Collected and Stored at No Charge

With cord blood collection currently underway at two regional Cleveland Clinic Hospitals, mothers have the option of donating their newborn babies' umbilical cord blood. As a public cord blood bank, the blood is collected and stored at no charge to the mother: stored cord blood stem cells are available internationally to those seeking a suitable stem cell match for disease treatments.

Non-Controversial

Because umbilical cord blood is donated at the time of birth of a full-term healthy baby and otherwise would be discarded, collecting stem-cell rich umbilical cord blood does not raise ethical or political concerns such as those surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells.

Reflecting the Diverse, Unique Ohio Population

"We are dedicated to ensuring that the umbilical cord blood we collect will help serve the wide cross-section of ethnicity," says Dr. Mary Laughlin, CCBC's founder. "The Cleveland Cord Blood Center's focus on serving a more diverse population holds particular promise for Hispanic, Asian and African-American populations which have been previously underrepresented in national adult registries."

How Cord Blood is Collected and Stored

Following the delivery of a full-term newborn and collection of cord blood, a CCBC nurse collection coordinator at each hospital ensures that the cord blood is safely transported to the CCBC's 5,000 square-foot clinical facility in Cleveland, Ohio. At CCBC's clinical laboratory, the cord blood is assessed, typed and frozen in a liquid nitrogen cryopreservation system. UCB are listed on international registries which can be accessed by transplant centers around the world that are searching for an appropriate match for patients.

CCBC's Mission

The Cleveland Cord Blood Center collects, preserves, and stores the umbilical cord blood of Northeast Ohio's diverse population; supports advanced research in maternal and child health; and offers education and training programs for those served. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, CCBC is a public, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, supported by generous gifts from the Abraham J. and Phyllis Katz Foundation, the Dr. Donald J. and Ruth Weber Goodman Philanthropic Fund, Medical Mutual of Ohio, and the Cleveland Foundation, among other supporters. For more information, visit www.clevelandcordblood.org or call 1-866-922-3668.

SOURCE Cleveland Cord Blood Center