cbr lab

The Stem Cell Source
 News & Views from Cord Blood Registry

RSS | Atom | Subscribe by Email Follow us on Twitter View our YouTube Channel

About this Blog

Welcome to The Stem Cell Source:
unique perspectives, commentary and information about a unique source of stem cells. Newborn stem cells from umbilical cord blood are saving lives and changing medicine. As the global leader in the collection and preservation of newborn stem cells, Cord Blood Registry is playing a crucial role in advancing medical research using a child's own cord blood to treat conditions that have no cure today. Join our discussion, spread the word, and learn more at our Web site, www.CordBlood.com.



Share This Page
   

 

Top News Videos


Cord Blood Blog

The cord blood banking blog
Links:

Keyword Tags:

January 2010 - Posts

  • Can Newborn Stem Cells from the Umbilical Cord Help Tiny Lungs Breathe?

    Posted: Jan 28, 2010

    In a recent blog post, we discussed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a particular type of stem cell with several unique characteristics that make them of particular interest to researchers who are exploring their potential in a wide variety of therapeutic applications – including preclinical research on a chronic lung disease that impacts newborns.

    According to study results published in Cell Transplantation, MSCs derived from human umbilical cord blood reduced injury and inflammation in animal models of neonatal lung damage caused by bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

    BPD affects babies born prematurely or those who experience respiratory problems shortly after birth who require high levels of oxygen from a ventilator for long periods of time.  Although mechanical ventilation is critical to survival, the pressure from the ventilation and excess oxygen can injure a newborn's delicate lungs over time. The lung damage of BPD can lead to long-term respiratory health problems and has few effective treatments today.

    The researchers found that newborn MSCs from the umbilical cord significantly reduced structural growth impairments, cell death and signs of inflammation associated with BPD. The protective effects of MSC therapy against lung injury appeared to be a result of the anti-inflammatory activity of the stem cells.  The researchers also noted that a small number of the newborn MSCs may have developed into lung epithelial cells as well.

    The study gives strong preclinical evidence to support further research for using newborn mesenchymal stem cells to treat BPD – an important step forward for some of the world’s tiniest and most vulnerable patients.

    Along with asthma and cystic fibrosis, BPD is one of the most common chronic lung diseases in children. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), between 5,000 and 10,000 cases of BPD occur every year in the United States.

    Click here to view the study.

  • 18 Years of Experience Matter!

    Posted: Jan 21, 2010

    On the path from birth to maturity, reaching one’s 18th birthday is a very significant milestone. It’s an important achievement that validates, among many things, the training, development and experience necessary to take on life’s challenges. 

    This year, CBR officially marks our 18th anniversary.  Not only were we the first family bank to store newborn stem cells for future use, but we continue to be the global leader and innovator in cord blood banking.

    Our success is driven by a philosophy of continuous improvement built on a foundation of unparalleled industry experience.  And experience matters, especially in an industry like ours that represents a rapidly evolving area of science and technology. 

    Today, the operations in CBR’s state-of-the-art, 80,000 square foot laboratory facility – the largest in the world – are governed by hundreds of written standard operating procedures (SOPs).  As the industry pioneer, we didn’t have a roadmap or a manual we could copy.  We wrote the book – literally.

    Over time, other banks have followed us.  Some are still in business, but others are not.  Some are just beginning to learn the complexity of running their own laboratory.  The process of preserving newborn stem cells from cord blood is delicate and complex.  It takes experience to do it well, and at CBR we do it very well.  In fact, CBR’s proprietary collection and processing technologies enable us to have the highest cell recovery rate in the industry, so we are able to preserve more stem cells for medical use than any other family bank.  And, after 18 years, we’ve successfully processed the cord blood of more than 300,000 newborns. 

    In this blog, we talk a lot about why newborn stem cells from the umbilical cord are unique.  It’s also important to understand what makes CBR unique.  Experience matters.

  • Cord Blood Stem Cells Successfully Expanded and Used To Treat Patients

    Posted: Jan 20, 2010

    Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have made a significant scientific breakthrough by expanding the number of newborn stem cells from a unit of cord blood in the laboratory and then successfully using them to treat patients with leukemia.  The study, which appeared in the Jan.17th issue of Nature Medicine, is the first published report showing success using expanded cord blood stem cells in patients.

    The researchers were able to achieve an average 164-fold increase of stem cells and concluded that treating patients with the expanded stem cells restored the blood and immune system more quickly that than those who received only the non-expanded stem cells.

    In a Science Daily article, study author Colleen Delaney explains, "The real ground-breaking aspect of this research is that we have shown that you can manipulate stem/progenitor cells in the lab with the goal of increasing their numbers. When given to a person, these cells can rapidly give rise to white blood cells and other components of the blood system."

    According to a BBC News report, scientists have been looking for ways to expand the number of cord blood stem cells in the laboratory so that there are enough cells from a single cord to meet the needs of an adult patient.
     
    Click here to read the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center press release

     

  • More Heartening News for Cardiac Patients: Specific Type of Stem Cell Helps Repair Heart Damage

    Posted: Jan 07, 2010

    Imagine if stem cell therapy could be widely used not only to manage the insult caused by a heart attack, but to reverse the damage and repair the heart.  That day might not be too far off in the future according to a recent human clinical study of 53 heart attack patients published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
     
    In the study, researchers used mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), a particular type of stem cell with several unique characteristics which make them of particular interest to investigators.  In a CNN story about the study Jeffrey Karp, a researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts and head of a stem cell lab at Harvard University, explains that MSCs have a “natural homing ability,” and the site of injury acts as a “homing beacon” for them.  Not all stem cells have the same characteristics or capabilities. MSCs have an excellent ability to proliferate, or increase rapidly, and give rise to many types of specialized cells that are the building blocks of connective tissue, bone, cartilage, and the circulatory and lymphatic systems. 

    More than 70 clinical trials are already underway using MSCs, and doctors are enthusiastic about the results reported for therapies addressing several conditions, including stroke, heart attack, bone injuries and autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. In addition, because MSCs serve as the foundation of connective tissue, applications in treating common joint and sports injuries may be another potential application with widespread use. MSCs are found in bone marrow, fat tissue, and the umbilical cord.

    According to Dr. Joshua Hare, director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine and lead author of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology study, the future looks bright for cardiac patients:

    “Mesenchymal stem cells are poised to really be the next major success in cell therapy…” he said.

    Click here to read about another study recently reported in the Stem Cell Source showing the reparative ability of stem cells in cardiac disorders.