Country Women's Association

MEDICAL RESEARCH PROJECT

In 1987 State Conference decided to support a Medical Research Project each year. The projects supported have been:

1988-91       Research into sulphated polysaccharide based pharmaceuticals - John Curtin School of Medical Research, Department of Microbiology Australian National University (Cancer Research).

1991-94       Lupus

1994-97       Motor Neurone Disease

1997-2001   Rett Syndrome

2001-2003   Retinitis Pigmentosa

2004-2007    Haemophilia

2008 -         Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Research 

The same Research Project can be supported for a maximum of three years.

Nominations follow normal channels through Branch to Group Conference and to State Executive.  Supporting information should be attached to nominations.

Three funds are selected by State Executive at their November Meeting and these appear on the Annual General Meeting Agenda with one to be decided by the Annual General Meeting.

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Research was elected as the Medical Research Project for 2007/08 at the 85th Annual General Meeting held in Jindabyne, 30 April to 3 May, 2007. It was re-elected at the 86th AGM held in Tweed Heads, 2-5 May, 2008.

The only cord blood research body in Australia which carries out practical translational research is the Australian Cord Blood Foundation, which is associated with the Sydney Cord Blood Bank and operates at the Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick. The Cord Blood Foundation is a charitable body, which does not receive government funding and is dedicated to sourcing donations and raising funds for research into cord blood banking and medical uses for cord blood cells. The main research arm of the Cord Blood Foundation is the Cord and Marrow Transplant Facility. This is the body which will be the recipient of CWA of NSW's medical research project funds for the next year.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells are collected from the umbilical cord after birth, which would otherwise be discarded. The umbilical cord is a medical goldmine, rich in life-saving stem cells, and research into the greater use of cord blood stem cells is ongoing. There are now 17 doctors engaged in this research; however, research cannot advance without funding. Your time, effort & generous donations could give the gift of life to someone with cancer or some other genetic disease.

The Foundation does research into greater future uses for cord blood stem cells to cure or assist with recovery from many diseases. At present, the greatest success in cord blood transplants world-wide is in combatting certain types of cancer, particularly leukaemia, blood diseases & various genetic diseases. Cord blood stem cells are now mostly used for assisting children; however cord blood, like bone marrow, contains stem cells capable of regenerating other tissues, such as bone, nerve cells, heart muscle, brain & liver tissue & cartilage; thus paving the way for future medical treatments for stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, diabetes  & cystic fibrosis. Research is now being undertaken on growing artificial stem cells in the laboratory, so that in the future, there will be less reliance on donated cord blood. This research could have far-reaching advantages for our aging society, with many of the diseases listed affecting older people.

Supporting information provided by Burren Junction Branch (Barwon Group); and Bellata and Manilla Branches (Namoi Group)