Global Study Shows Majority of Transplants Use Patients’ Own Stem Cells

PublicAffairs — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:45:00 GMT

A study initiated by the World Health Organization and published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that stem cell transplantation has become an accepted therapy worldwide and that the majority of transplant patients received a source of their own (autologous) stem cells.

This global study evaluated the more than 50,000 stem cell transplants performed in a specific calendar year (2006) and found that in 57% of the cases, the transplants used an autologous, or a patient’s own, source of stem cells for certain cancers and blood disorders. The authors also note that a matched sibling (within the family) might represent the most efficient way of therapy for a patient with a genetic disorder such as aplastic anemia, thalassemia or severe combined immunodeficiency.

This is the first time that the current state of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been documented on a global level, say the authors, led by Alois Gratwohl, MD, from the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. This information “has become a necessity for correct patient counseling and healthcare planning,” they add.

Hematopoietic stem cells collected from a newborn’s cord blood have been used successfully for more than 20 years in transplant medicine. They are recognized as having distinct advantages compared to other sources of stem cells, because they are younger, more adaptable and have limited exposure to viruses and other environmental factors that can alter cell function.

Research Results: A Child’s Own Stem Cells Can Change Course of Type 1 Diabetes

PublicAffairs — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 22:06:00 GMT

A study published in last week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that people with type 1 diabetes who received stem cell transplants using their own stem cells (autologous transplant), were able to go as long as four years without needing insulin treatments.

In addition to bone marrow stem cells collected from peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood stem cells have demonstrated the ability to alter the course of type 1 diabetes. Cord blood stem cells have successfully differentiated into insulin-producing cells in vitro and offer advantages over other stem cell sources. When compared to bone marrow and peripheral blood, cord blood is an ideal source of stem cells for use in these emerging type 1 diabetes therapies because it:

• is immediately available;
• involves a non-invasive collection process that presents no risk to the individual;
• is easily available for a patient’s own use if stored at a family bank;
• has a demonstrated clinical safety and efficacy;
• is capable of giving rise to insulin-producing cells;
• has a higher cell proliferation rate;
• has cellular/tissue reparative capabilities.

Data from a clinical trial being conducted at the University of Florida was first presented at the American Diabetes Association in 2007. The trial is examining the use of autologous cord blood stem cells to neutralize the body’s immune attack on the pancreas and prevent the destruction of existing insulin-producing cells – without compromising the immune system via chemotherapy or radiation. Patients were given intravenous (I.V.) infusions of their own cord blood stem cells and then evaluated to measure how much insulin they were making on their own, their blood sugar levels, and the function of key immune system cells.

Preliminary observations from the trial suggest that autologous cord blood stem cell infusions may safely slow disease progression and help to preserve insulin production in children with type 1 diabetes. Researchers are now recruiting patients for phase 2 of the study. They will be investigating whether a single intravenous infusion of a child’s own cord blood stem cells followed by one year of daily vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acid supplementation can preserve beta cell function in children with type 1 diabetes.

The Stem Cell Source : JAMA

Global Study Shows Majority of Transplants Use Patients’ Own Stem Cells

Research Results: A Child’s Own Stem Cells Can Change Course of Type 1 Diabetes