The public donation – organised by eticur)

Not own, donated stem cells from the umbilical cord are increasingly used as an alternative to bone marrow stem cell donation for patients suffering from leukaemia. There are many advantages: Low-risk collection, immediate availability and the better immunologic acceptance. Meanwhile, more than 25,000 patients have profited from this stem cell source world-wide.   

Public DONATION for the stem cell bank of University Hospital Erlangen 

eticur) offers the donation of umbilical cord blood stem cells for general public as an alternative to the private storage: With the help of eticur), the cells are donated to the public stem cell bank of the University Hospital Erlangen. The typification data is entered in the Central Bone Marrow Donation Register Germany (ZKRD) which stores the material for all patients with the matching tissue characteristics around the world. In such a case, you waive any right to store the material for your own purposes. But your donation can save the life of another person, as these blocks of life are far too precious to be thrown out.  

Medical reasons can sometimes show that you are not suitable as a donor. In order to check that we need your anamnesis data in time, so that the doctors at the stem cell bank of the University Hospital Erlangen can confirm your suitability as a donor. After that, a courier brings the collection set for the umbilical cord blood to you. 

Possible exemptions for a public donation of umbilical cord blood: 

• Reasoned, continuing exemption from blood donation   
• A birth before the 38th week of pregnancy 
• Multiple births 
• Applied rhesus prophylaxis (Rhesus negative mothers whose unborn child is Rhesus-positive, receive an antibody material, e.g. Rhophylac or Rhesogam  in order to prevent an immune reaction of the mother against the child) 
• When the mother had stayed in Great Britain between 1980 and 1996 for longer than 6 months ( BSE-infection risk) 
• Wearing a piercing in a mucous membrane (mouth, nose, genital area) – when the piercing is still worn in the 30th week of pregnancy 
• Operations which have taken place 4 to 6 months before birth (depending on the kind of operation)   
• Pregnancies after a donation of an egg cell or sperm donation or when one biological parent in not known 
• After a fertility treatment (e.g. ICSI-treatment) if human hormones were given 
• Inserted implants (e.g. tooth implants) 
• Severe diseases of first-degree relatives of the child
• A visit in tropical regions in the last six months before birth   
• According to the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute (PEI) current blocking periods for journeys to several countries 
• Severe acquired infection diseases (e.g. HIV, Hepatitis B/C, Lues) or infects with fever which occur up to four weeks before birth and which have to be treated with medications (e.g. diarrhoea). 

Most of the aforementioned reasons (except the infections) do not apply for the private/autologous storage of the stem cells, as the cells are not stored for general public, but for the donor – your child.    

Umbilical cord blood donation means: 

• Apart from the postage fees of sending back the documents, you do not have to cover any costs for an umbilical cord blood donation. 
• All donated materials which meet the quality criteria are registered in the stem cell bank in the Central Bone Marrow Donation Register Germany (ZKRD) of the University Hospital. 
• If the material of your child should not be suitable for donation, we will ask for your explicit consent before we would use it for quality control or research and then dispose of it (see form information and consent to allogenic umbilical cord blood donation). 
• If laboratory findings reveal that you or your child suffers from an illness which needs treatment, we will surely inform you immediately.   
• There is no feed-back on the material and no information if storage really took place. 
• You waive all your rights concerning the material to the public stem cell bank. If your child should need stem cell material later, we will have to search for suitable material just as for any other patient who has not stored any autologous stem cells. 

Immediately fill out the FORMS online, print them out and send them back to us signed! 

• highest quality for testing and storing
• separation and HLA-typification included
• safe storage at the University Hospital
• storage in two units in two tanks
• financing option from zero percent interest