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Stem Cells in the News

About the Publications
Advances in hematopoietic stem cell research are being made every day which may make the availability of cord blood even more important to a family. Today, there are numerous life threatening diseases that are treatable with cord blood stem cells and a family’s access to a stored cord blood specimen will reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment significantly. Additional research has demonstrated that leukemia patients treated with sibling cord blood stem cells resulted in far fewer cases of both chronic and acute graft versus host disease as compared with bone marrow from a sibling with the same tissue type.

Research related to tissue plasticity has demonstrated that “Cord blood cells could potentially be used to create a tissue-engineered structure needed to correct a cardiac birth defect diagnosed prenatally” and “Compared to embryonic stem cells, the lack of research restrictions on human adult stem cells makes them an attractive subject for study; and the reduced risk of tumor growth and immune rejection augur well for clinical applications”.

The articles included here are but the tip of the iceberg of research conduct today internationally on hematopoietic stem cells.

Stem Cells May Reprogram Malignant Cells.. Stem Cell Business News, Volume 5, No. 3, p 2, February 6, 2006

On February 1, 2006, Scottsdale, AZ-based company, Medistem Laboratories, Inc. announced it had acquired worldwide rights to a potential cancer treatment using stem cells to reprogram cancer cells. The patent pending technology may lead to the development of anticancer treatments for some of the most serious cancers by reprogramming malignant cells to behave like normal cells. "While chemotherapy and radiation therapy include sever side effects through collateral damage to non-cancerous cells and organs, the present invention utilizes the ability of cancer cells to be 'reprogrammed' into begin, non-cancerous progeny", said Dr. Thomas Ichim, the inventor and a Medistem consultant.

Medistem's CEO Neil Riordan, PhD stated, "It is an example of the promise of stem cell-based technology to enable the creation of medical therapies that could revolutionize the treatment of cancer and other serious medical conditions." This technology would induce cancer cells to differentiate into begin, non-malignant cells. And, the patent pending pertains specifically to the use of stem cells from umbilical cords and placentas.

More information can be found at Stem Cell Business News, Volume 5, No. 3, p 2. full article
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Cord Blood Stem Cell Act of 2003. 108th Congress 1st Session. H.R. 2852

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network to prepare, store, and distribute human umbilical cord blood stem cells for the treatment of patients and to support peer-reviewed research using such cells. full article
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Expansion of Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells. CorCell 2003

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a valuable, yet limited resource. When used in treatment the following applies: The greater the number of stem cells used, the better the prospects for healing. Currently, this is the reason the entire umbilical cord blood specimen is always used in transplantation. Scientists are conducting research on the expansion of stem cells to increase treatment applications. This means that specimens which today are too small for transplantation could then be used by increasing the number of stem cells. full article
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Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation: New Frontiers. Fairview-University Blood and Marrow Transplant Services. Accessed 9-17-03.

In summary, the demonstration that cell dose is the most important factor influencing outcome has led university physicians to develop new approaches to expand the stem cell pool either by expansion in the laboratory prior to transplantation, expansion by mixing two UCB units, or by expansion in the patient by co-infusing healthy stroma from one of the parents. While none of these approaches has been proven, support by the Children's Cancer Research Fund has been instrumental in allowing the development of new treatments with the ultimate goal of improving the rate of cure in children and adults with life-threatening diseases. full article
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Prometheus's Vulture and the Stem-Cell Promise. Nadia Rosenthal, Ph.D. New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 349:267-274. July 17, 2003. Number 3.

An understanding of the plasticity of adult stem cells initially grew from observations that donor cells were found in nonhematopoietic tissues in the recipients of bone marrow transplants. Accounts of the repopulation of adult organs by stem cells derived from bone marrow have since flooded the literature, suggesting that under the right conditions, these rare cells can contribute to virtually any type of tissue. As proof of principle, a lone hematopoietic stem cell, genetically marked and mixed with unmarked bone marrow, was injected into a mouse that had received a lethal dose of radiation. Several weeks later, the marked descendants of that stem cell were found in multiple tissues, attesting to the plasticity of bone marrow precursors. full article
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Augmentation of umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation with ex vivo–expanded UCB cells: results of a phase 1 trial using the AastromReplicell System. Jaroscak, et al. Blood. 15 June 2003, volume 101, Number 12.

Clinical-scale ex vivo expansion of UCB is feasible, and the administration of ex vivo–expanded cells is well tolerated. Augmentation of UCB transplants with ex vivo–expanded cells did not alter the time to myeloid, erythroid, or platelet engraftment in 21 evaluable patients. Recipients of ex vivo–expanded cells continue to have durable engraftment with a median follow-up of 47 months (range, 41-51 months). full article
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High efficiency recovery of functional hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells from human cord blood cryopreserved for 15 years. Broxmeyer, et al. PNAS. January 21, 2003. Vol. 100. No. 2.

Transplanted cord blood (CB) hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and progenitor cells (HPC) can treat malignant and nonmalignant disorders. Because long-term cryopreservation is critical for CB banking and transplantation, we assessed the efficiency of recovery of viable HSC_HPC from individual CBs stored frozen for 15 yr. Average recoveries (_ 1 SD) of defrosted nucleated cells, colony-forming unitgranulocyte, -macrophage (CFU-GM), burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), and colony-forming unit-granulocyte, -erythrocyte, -monocyte, and - megakaryocyte (CFU-GEMM) were, respectively, 83 _ 12, 95 _ 16, 84 _ 25, and 85 _ 25 using the same culture conditions as for prefreeze samples. Proliferative capacities of CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-GEMM were intact as colonies generated respectively contained up to 22,500, 182,500, and 292,500 cells. Self-renewal of CFU-GEMM was also retained as replating efficiency of singleCFU-GEMMcolonies into 2° dishes was >96% and yielded 2° colonies of CFU-GM, BFU-E, and CFU-GEMM. Moreover, CD34_CD38_ cells isolated by FACS after thawing yielded >250-fold ex vivo expansion of HPC. To assess HSC capability, defrosts from single collections were bead-separated into CD34_ cells and infused into sublethally irradiated nonobese diabetic (NOD)_severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. CD45_ human cell engraftment with multilineage phenotypes was detected in mice after 11–13 wk; engrafting levels were comparable to that reported with fresh CB. Thus, immature human CB cells with high proliferative, replating, ex vivo expansion and mouse NOD_SCID engrafting ability can be stored frozen for>15 yr, can be efficiently retrieved, and most likely remain effective for clinical transplantation. full article
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A Case For Stem Cells. Sheehe. George Washington University Medical Center Medicine and Health Magazine. 14 – 21. Winter 2003.

Regardless of what happens with embryonic stem cells, Dr. McCaffrey’s own work and that of others at GW Medical Center help illustrate just how powerful adult stem cells continue to be as a tool in regenerative medicine. Compared to embryonic stem cells, the lack of research restrictions on human adult stem cells makes them an attractive subject for study; and the reduced risk of tumor growth and immune rejection augur well for clinical applications. full article
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Searching for Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Availability and Speed of Umbilical Cord Blood versus Bone Marrow. Juliet N. Barker, et al. Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. 8: 257-260. 2002.

Unrelated donor (URD) umbilical cord blood (UCB) has several potential advantages over URD BM for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To examine the efficiency of donor identification for each of these URD stem cell sources, we reviewed the search processes for all pediatric and adult URD transplantation referrals to the University of Minnesota during a period of 1 year. Of 171 consecutive referrals for URD transplantation, 108 patients proceeded to a formal URD search with selection of at least 1 donor. Significantly more formal UCB searches (54%) than BM searches (21%) were performed for patients who required urgent transplantation (P < .01). At least one 4-6/6 HLA-antigen matched UCB graft but no suitable BM graft was identified for 21 of the 108 patients (19%). The median time required to obtain a URD BM donor (from formal search to clearance of a BM donor) was 49 days (range, 32-293 days) compared to a UCB search time (from formal search to a donor unit chosen) of only 13.5 days (range, 2-387 days). For patients undergoing both BM and UCB searches, 29 more days (95% confidence interval, 21-37 days) were required to identify and clear a URD BM donor than a UCB donor (P < .01). For the 76 patients who proceeded to transplantation, patients receiving UCB received a transplant a median of 25 days more rapidly than did those receiving BM (P < .01). These data confirm that the availability of banked cryopreserved URD UCB grafts allows transplantations for patients with no available BM donor and that URD UCB grafts are available considerably faster than are URD BM grafts. Faster availability is a particular advantage for patients requiring urgent transplantation. These unique features of UCB transplantation must be considered in comparisons of the outcomes of UCB versus BM transplant recipients and in the design of prospective trials comparing URD sources. full article
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Tissue engineering with bone marrow and cord blood grows heart parts. American Heart Association. Top 10 research advances for 2001. #4. December 21, 2001.

The researchers concluded that human umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), providing novel cells for tissue engineering. The exciting possibilities for this cell source include "banking" the cells for future use. Cord blood cells could potentially be used to create a tissue-engineered structure needed to correct a cardiac birth defect diagnosed prenatally. The new tissue could be ready to use when the baby is born - or even before birth for potential prenatal/fetal surgical repair. full article
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Graft-Versus-Host Disease in Children Who Have Received a Cord-Blood or Bone Marrow Transplant from an HLA-Identical Sibling. Vanderson Rocha, M.D., John E. Wagner, M.D. et al. New England Journal of Medicine. Volume 342:1846-1854. June 22, 2000. Number 25.

In conclusion, children who received cord-blood transplants from HLA-identical siblings had a lower risk of acute and chronic GVHD and longer times to neutrophil and platelet recovery than children who received bone marrow transplants from HLA-identical siblings. These results justify the systematic collection of cord blood in families with a child affected by a disease that can be treated successfully by allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. The results also support further exploration of cord blood as a source of stem cells for transplants from unrelated donors. full article
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Evaluation of cell separation and storage methods. Regidor et al. Experimental Hematology. 27. 1999. pp 380-385.

Manipulation in open systems increases the risks of microbiologic contamination and identification errors both in the separation and freezing steps, and the use of cryotubes requires adequate protection to avoid contact of the sample with the liquid nitrogen, as storage in the gas phase is unsuitable for long-term cryopreservation. These risks are reduced by the use of bags. full article

Note: CorCell has always processed umbilical cord blood in a closed system to reduce the risk of microbiologic contamination and identification errors. CorCell has also elected to store cord blood stem cells in cryobags as opposed to cryotubes (even though cryotubes were more cost effective) to avoid contact of the specimen with liquid nitrogen. Additionally, CorCell’s cord blood stem cell specimens are further protected in cryopreservation by enclosing each specimen separately in a stainless steel cassette.
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