Human Life Code Co., Ltd.
A survey of pregnant women’s awareness regarding the use of umbilical cord medical resources. More than half of respondents said, “I don’t mind providing the umbilical cord after childbirth as a medical resource.”
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Human Life Code Co., Ltd. (President: Masamitsu Harada, Location: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter referred to as Human Life Code) aims to be the first in the world to commercialize mesenchymal cells derived from the umbilical cord as regenerative medicine products. In March 2024, in collaboration with Baby Shower Japan, a general incorporated association that provides various support and awareness activities for pregnant women who are about to give birth, and their families, we will conduct an awareness survey regarding the umbilical cord among 20 pregnant women who are about to give birth. carried out.
Procuring umbilical cords as a medical resource for regenerative and cell therapy will become an issue in the near future.
In recent years, the umbilical cord, which connects a pregnant woman and her newborn during childbirth, has been attracting attention as a medical resource for regenerative and cell therapy as an alternative to bone marrow transplants, which must erode the donor’s body. Human Life Code is also aiming to establish infusion therapy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal cells for rare and intractable diseases such as non-infectious pulmonary complications (*) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using umbilical cords. It is a medical resource that is expected to be used in innovative treatments for various pathological conditions in the future, such as in the treatment of sarcopenia, an age-related disease.
(*) Non-infectious pulmonary complications after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation:
Pulmonary complications after stem cell transplantation occur in approximately 30% of patients after transplantation, and they respond poorly to steroid therapy, the standard treatment, and are once steroid resistant (the condition does not improve even with
appropriate steroid treatment). This disease progresses irreversibly once it develops (not seen), and has a high mortality rate for which there is no established treatment yet.
In the future, the need for umbilical cords will expand in various regenerative and cell therapy settings, and securing umbilical cords is predicted to become one of the challenges for maintaining the sustainable health of humanity. However, at present, the umbilical cord in many births is discarded as medical waste.
In the future, by educating more pregnant women and their families about the usefulness of using umbilical cords for medical purposes, we will be able to secure an abundant supply of umbilical cords, which will lead to a future where more people’s lives can be saved. As part of our awareness-raising activities, we conducted a survey on pregnant women’s awareness and awareness regarding the use of umbilical cord medical resources.
Approximately half of the respondents were aware of the use of the umbilical cord as a medical resource.
More than half of the respondents answered, “I would like to provide it if I could easily do so.”
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/61963/22/resize/d61963-22-c85623941418c358098b-0.png&s3=61963-22-3aa68834cbfa9e3eb42a8a1d9242f21b-848×407.png ]
Nine out of 20 respondents, nearly half, said, “I know that the umbilical cord can be used as a raw material for regenerative and cell therapy drugs to treat intractable diseases.” In contrast, only three people said they were aware that it is used as an ingredient in cosmetics for anti-aging care. [Figures 1 and 2]
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/61963/22/resize/d61963-22-d1a45e5538700991e2af-1.png&s3=61963-22-08e659fbcfd38d3f597df9f7657cb13b-590×380.png ]
When asked how they currently plan to use the umbilical cord after childbirth (multiple answers allowed), the most common answer (11 people) was “Keep it clean,” followed by “Undecided” (7 people), and “Keep the umbilical cord clean.” “Save and donate umbilical cord blood so that it can be used as raw material for medical products” (4 people), followed by “Storage and donate umbilical cord blood so that it can be used as raw material for clothing” (1 person).
The results showed that more people had an intention to keep or donate the umbilical cord itself than to keep or donate the umbilical cord blood. [Figure 3]
[Image 3: https://prtimes.jp/i/61963/22/resize/d61963-22-8e396621f9b0cf27be15-2.png&s3=61963-22-9cb16e0e99784167789eb8815afa1736-590×326.png ]
When asked about the use of umbilical cords as a raw material for regenerative and cell therapy drugs to treat incurable diseases, “I don’t mind providing it if it’s easy to do” (12 people), “I’d like to volunteer because it’s a good thing” (5 people), “I don’t think I’d be willing to cooperate because it gave me a slightly negative impression.” (3 people) and “I don’t think it’s a good idea” (1 person), indicating that more than half of the people would be willing to provide it if it didn’t take much effort. [Figure 4] Some expressed a desire to actively cooperate, while others expressed concern. There are also comments that hope that correct awareness will be spread more widely.
In the specific free comments, there were many that expressed a desire to actively cooperate.
I’m thinking of providing it.
I think it’s a good attempt.
If there is a life to be saved, I would like to cooperate.
I thought I might be able to help someone/I definitely want to help people! / I thought you should use it if it helps you.
I would be happy if the life of a newborn baby could be of use to others. I think it’s great to be able to help people with a part of the life and organization I’ve been given.
I feel that this is the first organ donation that an individual can do without any risks, so I would like to cooperate.
If there is a life that can be saved by disposing of something, I would like to cooperate. /It would be a waste not to utilize things that would otherwise be discarded. / Even if it is disposed of, permission is not required before it is disposed of, so I would like to see more use of it.
I felt it was so important that everyone’s umbilical cords should be collected and used if they were going to be thrown away at birth anyway.
There were also concerns about the complexity and unclearness of the procedures when choosing between storage and donation.
I think it would be better if there were no difficult procedures. I’m wondering if this will significantly increase the amount of effort required for me and the hospital during the difficult postpartum period.
I am concerned about what procedures are required and whether there will be a burden on the hospital and maternity hospital.
I would like to help if there is a life that can be saved by disposing of something, but I wish there was more awareness about what to do and what to write in a birth plan.
There hasn’t been any announcement from the hospital, so it’s hard for me to bother.
On the other hand, there are also opinions that there are concerns and resistance to storing and donating the umbilical cord.
I would like to offer it, but there is still some resistance. I don’t know anyone like that because I don’t know anyone like that. Questions remain about safety and effectiveness.
I would like to cooperate if there is a life to be saved by disposing of something, but I have the impression that it is not generally accepted.
Although I would like to cooperate, I have a strong desire to keep it for myself.
Several comments expressed their hopes for future expansion of awareness and enlightenment.
Will it become commonplace to provide this service as awareness increases in the future? I thought.
If it can be used for medical purposes, I wonder why it hasn’t been talked about much until now.
Being useful in medical care is a wonderful thing in itself, so I felt it would be good to spread more knowledge about it.
While I hope it can help someone, I am also worried about how it will be used. It would be good if social recognition and understanding deepened further.
I think there are many people who don’t know about it, so I thought it would be a good idea to collaborate with parents’ classes and obstetrics and gynecology departments to spread the word.
I’m glad that research is progressing and more people are adapting it, but I don’t think it’s good to see things like umbilical cord blood being overly advertised.
Umbilical cords, which were previously discarded, can become valuable medical resources such as drugs for treating incurable diseases. Donating an umbilical cord is the first social contribution a newborn baby can make after birth, as it may save the child’s own life or help treat the illness of others.
Human Life Code considers it our duty as a company that develops new medicines using umbilical cord raw materials to disseminate
information regarding the correct collection and use of umbilical cords as a medical resource, and we will continue to carry out appropriate awareness-raising activities in the future.
[About Human Life Code] (https://humanlifecord.com/)
Human Life Cord Co., Ltd. manufactures and develops cell products from umbilical cords (“cords”) that are domestically produced and stockpilable, and provides hope for life to patients with intractable diseases for which there is currently no established treatment (“cords”). ), which will lead to future medical care aimed at preventing the aggravation of diseases that will extend healthy life expectancy (the “code”), thereby creating a society in which everyone can live a fulfilling life (the “human life”). ) is our vision. In 2019, won the Grand Prize and Tokyo Governor’s Award at the 1st Tokyo Venture Company Championship. Selected as a company eligible for support by the “Deep Ecosystem” operated by the “Startup Ecosystem Tokyo Consortium” sponsored by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Received the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Award at the 5th Japan Open Innovation Awards sponsored by the Cabinet Office in 2023. A company selected for the startup support program “J-Startup” by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in 2023.
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