title: Blood money.
abstract: Foetal blood contains cells that can regenerate all the cellular elements of blood and the immune system (stem cells). This blood can be obtained from the placenta without any harm to mother or baby and is currently used as a successful alternative to bone marrow for paediatric transplantation. Recently, it has been suggested that this blood can be put in storage and used (if needed) for the child that the blood originally came from. This has prompted a commercial interest, leading to both financial and ethical concerns.
authors.affiliation: UK Cord Blood Immunology Group, Royal Free School of Medicine/University College London.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D001771:Blood Banks / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000502:physiology*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*