Cord Blood Stem Cell News

Stem cell transplant hopes lifted

BBC NEWS — January 18, 2010 00:03:50 GMT

Stem cell transplant hopes lifted A technique which may eventually remove the need for matched bone marrow transplants has been used in humans for the first time. It is hoped that "master cells" taken from umbilical cords could be used on any patient without rejection. The latest advance, published in the journal Nature Medicine, greatly multiplies the tiny number of cells from the cord ready for a transplant. UK charity Leukaemia Research said this could be the "holy grail" for doctors. Aggressive treatment The current system of bone marrow transplantation helps patients who have diseases, such as leukaemia, which affect the stem cells in their bone marrow where new blood cells are grown. “ The holy grail is to have an "off the peg" source of unlimited numbers of "neutral" stem cells ” Dr David Grant Leukaemia Research Their own bone marrow cells are killed off by aggressive treatment and cells from a matched donor are introduced in their place. However, a matching donor cannot always be found, despite extensive donor registries held by organisations such as the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust and, even with a carefully matched donor, there is still a risk that the patient's body will reject the new cells. Cells extracted from umbilical cords could overcome these problems - they do not have the characteristics which would normally trigger immune rejection, so it is likely that cells from a single baby's cord could be used in any patient, without the need for matching. However, there is one big disadvantage - there are not enough cells in a single cord to meet the needs of an adult patient. Scientists have been looking for ways to either combine the cells from more than one baby, or to "expand" the cell numbers in the laboratory. The second of these options is far from straightforward - simply allowing the stem cells to divide and increase in the laboratory means that many of the resulting extra cells will be simple blood cells, which do not have the ability to produce new cells themselves. Quick to work Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle believe they may have found a way. They manipulated a "signalling pathway" in the stem cells to trigger an increase in numbers without losing their stem cell status. After success in laboratory animals, these cells were used in human patients, and the researchers found that they were accepted by the body more quickly and contributed more to the rebuilding of functioning bone marrow than "non-expanded" cord blood transplants. Dr David Grant, Scientific Director of charity Leukaemia Research said: "The holy grail is to have an 'off the peg' source of unlimited numbers of 'neutral' stem cells which can be given to any patient safe in the knowledge that they will not cause the very difficult 'graft versus host' problems that lead to rejection and often the death of the patient. "This is a promising development towards this because the concern has been that once stem cells start 'growing' they lose their stem cell properties and progress to ordinary blood cells with a very limited lifespan." Henny Braund, chief executive of The Anthony Nolan Trust, said the potential for umbilical cord blood was "huge", and that the charity had already imported well over 250 units of umbilical cord blood. "Sadly in the UK, despite our scientific expertise, umbilical cord blood is still very much an untapped resource and we are only able to collect and store a tiny amount of the cords we need. "We really need a properly resourced UK cord blood collection programme. "Further investment is crucial if we are to capitalise on this amazing resource and save more lives."

Stem cells from umbilical cord used for cerebral palsy treatment

Hoe Yeen Nie — 02 December 2009

Stem cells from umbilical cord used for cerebral palsy treatment By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 December 2009 2350 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Michael Conn and Louise Conn with their daughter Georgia Conn. Video Stem cells from umbilical cord used for cerebral palsy treatment SINGAPORE: For the first time in Singapore, stem cells from the umbilical cord have been used to treat cerebral palsy - and with positive results. Every one in 500 babies suffers from the condition worldwide, and the breakthrough could provide hope for more parents in the region, as currently such treatments are mostly done in the US. Two-year-old Georgia Conn is a much calmer child these days. Until recently, she suffered from frequent seizures, and cried constantly. Georgia has cerebral palsy, an incurable condition caused by injury to her brain during birth. On September 8, doctors infused her with her own cord blood; in the hope the stem cells would repair her damaged brain tissue. Her parents, Michael and Louise Conn, had earlier stored Georgia's umbilical cord cells with private blood bank, CordLife. The Australian nationals are now Singapore Residents. "Within two days, Georgia was noticeably happier. Just instantly more smiley, chatty and more energetic. That was the first real indication that something was going on," said Louise Conn. "And since then we all feel, and all her therapists feel, that her muscle tone has reduced, which is enabling her to achieve a lot more within her therapy sessions," she added. The procedure was done after the Health Ministry gave its approval. The intravenous transfusion, which took place at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, took about 10 minutes, although tests and post-procedure observation added another several hours. The Conns returned home the same day. "It is quite a safe procedure. It is like a standard blood transfusion, except that you are using the cord blood cells that were stored. So there is no risk of a reaction, apart from perhaps minor hypersensitivity reactions, as in all blood transfusions," said Dr Keith Goh, neurosurgeon, Mount Elizabeth Hospital. The Conns had initially considered seeking treatment in the US, but the H1N1 flu outbreak proved to be just one of several obstacles. Louise Conn said: "The complication is getting family of four of us - we have a six-month old baby, who was going to be very very small when we go over. The complication was flying us all over there, getting to North Carolina. "The blood had to leave Singapore and arrive in North Carolina and be infused into Georgia within 72 hours. So there were huge risks involved, just the smallest airline delay could really mess with the whole situation." Georgia will have to continue with physiotherapy, and may undergo another transfusion later in life. Her parents hope that in future, she will be able to attend school with other kids her age. Doctors hope to begin a clinical trial in Singapore next year, to add to the growing research on the area. - CNA/sc

Cord Blood Stem Cells May Help Treat Heart, Lung Disorders

HealthDay News — November 30, 2009

Cord Blood Stem Cells May Help Treat Heart, Lung Disorders Two lab studies report safe transplant results in animals Posted November 30, 2009 MONDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies in animals suggest that stem cells from transplanted human-derived umbilical cord blood could help treat some lung and heart disorders. People Who Read This Also Read Outrage Over Obama's Bow to Japanese Emperor Is Silly New 'Skin' From Stem Cells Sarah Palin Looking Loony on Oprah Winfrey Stem Cells May Improve Heart Bypass Results Health Highlights: Nov. 20, 2009 Scientists already know that such stem cells can differentiate into a long list of different kinds of cells in the laboratory, Dr. Won Soon Park of the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, co-author of one of the studies, said in a news release. But it's not clear if they can develop into lung-specific cells in the body, he added. To find the answer, researchers transplanted the stem cells into newborn rats with lung injuries. They found that the stem cells provided protection and therefore could lead to a first-ever treatment for hyperoxic neonatal lung disease, or bronchopulmonary dysplasia, in premature babies. In the second study, researchers in Germany examined the effect of autologous (self-donated) umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell transplantation on a type of heart function in animals. They are hoping to understand its potential to treat common cyanotic congenital heart defects. The researchers reported that the transplantation, which was performed in sheep, was "feasible and safe." Both studies were published online Nov. 16 in Cell Transplantation.

Progenics office hours changed

Progenics Cord Blood Cryobank — 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Our business hours changed to serve you better, Monday - Thursday 9:00am-8:00pm, Friday 9:00am-6:00pm, Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm

Significance of efficient processing technique to family cord blood banks

Yang h et al. Cytotherapy Volume 11 Number 1 2009 — 23 Jul 2009 12:00:00 GMT

To save more cells from cord blood for heavier patients public cord blood banks discard over 50% of samples due to low volume or low yield of cells. Family cord blood banks cannot handle cord blood in the same manner, since some families choose to store cord blood regardless of volume. To increase the chance that cord blood will be selected for transplant, the most important considerations for family cord blood banks are to achieve a high yield of total nucleated cells (TNC) and a low hematocrit, which are the most reliable indicators of quality processing. Progenics Cord Blood Cryobank processed cord blood using the modified double stem cell extraction technique (Yang H et al, BMT 2001). Briefly, cord blood was mixed with Pentaspan and centrifuged at 50xg and 400xg respectively. Centrifugation time at 50xg was determined by the formular CT=KL-M, where CT=centrifuge time, K=7.7227, M=28.742, L=In (volume of cord blood with anticoagulant). Transfer bags were connected by a tubing welder to prevent contamination. It was previously reported that no difference in sterility or viability were found between double extraction and conventional HES techniques (Yang H. et al, BMT 2001). The yield of TNC was 97.6 ± 2.6% with 0.06% of samples lower than 80% and 86% of samples over 95%. The results (n=3219) are summarized below. The results show that the double processing technique is the most efficient method for yielding the highest number of TNC for clients who pay for family cord blood banking.

Blind girl treated with umbilical-cord blood stem cells

BRIAN FLYNN — 05 Mar 2009 12:00:00 GMT

A BLIND girl of two can see for the first time after having revolutionary stem cell therapy. Dakota Clarke, who has the same brain condition as model Jordan’s son Harvey, can recognise her mum and dad for the first time. Her dad Darren, 34, said: “It’s nothing short of a miracle for us. She can see the world for the first time. “Last week she pointed at a hairbrush across the room and shouted ‘brush’. I almost cried with happiness.” Dakota was born blind with septo-optic dysplasia — which hits one in 50,000 children — and nearly died four times in her first few weeks because of underdeveloped lungs. After exhausting all UK treatments, her parents went to Qingdao, China, for a £30,000 pioneering therapy. Stem cells — which can change into any human body tissue — were injected into her forehead through an intravenous line.Each jab contained up to 15 million stem cells taken from umbilical cord blood donated by Chinese mums. The treatment repaired damage to the optic nerve, allowing Dakota to see people, objects, colours and lights.Amazed surgeons say the miracle tot responded quicker than any other patient. After just three weeks, Dakota’s eyes are tracking objects for the first time and she can recognize people and objects without touching them. She can now walk with just one parent holding her and use the toilet on her own — after the cells repaired damage in her brain and bowels. Mum Wilma, 28, of Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, has now written to Jordan, 30, real name Katie Price, urging her to consider the treatment for her son Harvey, six. She said: “I sent her an email telling her that it could help Harvey. I hope it is something the family looks into.“I want to spread the word to help other children.” Only 15 patients worldwide have had the treatment — with Dakota the first UK child.

Stem cell transplants show promise for MS: study

Julie Steenhuysen — 29 Jan 2009 11:03:00 GMT

CHICAGO (Reuters) – U.S. researchers have reversed multiple sclerosis symptoms in early stage patients by using bone marrow stem cell transplants to reset the immune system, they said on Thursday. Some 81 percent of patients in the early phase study showed signs of improvement with the treatment, which used chemotherapy to destroy the immune system, and injections of the patient's bone marrow cells taken beforehand to rebuild it. "We just start over with new cells from the stem cells," said Dr. Richard Burt of Northwestern University in Chicago, whose study appears in the journal Lancet Neurology. Multiple sclerosis occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath protecting nerve cells. It affects 2.5 million people globally and can cause mild illness in some people and permanent disability in others. Symptoms may include numbness or weakness in the limbs, loss of vision and an unsteady gait. "MS usually occurs in adults," Burt said in a telephone interview. Before they get the disease, their immune systems work well, he said, but something happens to make the immune system attack itself. His approach is aimed at turning back the clock to a time before the immune system began attacking itself. Burt said the approach -- called autologous non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation -- is a bit gentler than the therapy used in cancer patients because rather than destroying the entire bone marrow, it attacks just the immune system component of the marrow, making it less toxic. Burt and colleagues tried the treatment on 21 patients aged 20 to 53 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, an earlier stage in the disease in which symptoms come and go. Patients in the study were not helped by at least six months of standard treatment with interferon beta. After an average follow-up of about three years, 17 patients improved by at least one measure on a disability scale, and the disease stabilized in all patients. Patients continued to improve for up to 24 months after the transplant procedure, and then stabilized. Many had improvements in walking, vision, incontinence and limb strength. "To date, all therapies for MS have been designed and approved because they slowed the rate of neurological decline. None of them has ever reversed neurological dysfunction, which is what this has done," Burt said. Other teams have seen improvements in patients using a more aggressive approach. In one study led by Dr. Mark Freedman of the University of Ottawa last year, 17 MS patients treated with the more aggressive approach were showing signs of remission two years after treatment. Burt stressed that the treatment approach needed to be tested in a more scientifically rigorous randomized clinical trial, in which half of the patients get the transplant treatment and the other half get standard treatment. That trial is under way.

Girl's Own Cord Blood Gives Her Parents Hope

Kathy Walsh — 2 Oct 2008 14:40:00 GMT

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (CBS4) ― A toddler in Highlands Ranch born with Cerebral Palsy has made "remarkable" progress thanks to her own umbilical cord blood. Chloe Levine, 2, is benefitting from a treatment many parents don't know about.

Her parents, Jenny and Ryan, knew something wasn't quite right after Chloe's birth. At 9 months, she couldn't hold a bottle with her right hand because it was always in a tight fist. She also would drag her right leg and scoot along the floor rather than crawl.

"She was fast and she was good at it, but she wouldn't crawl," her parents said.

A few months later, her doctor ran some tests and learned Chloe had a stroke in utero which caused brain tissue to stop developing. The Cerebral Palsy caused paralysis on her right side.

Fortunately, the Levine's had banked Chloe's umbilical cord blood when she was born and stored it with a private company.

Doctors at Duke University were using cord blood, infusing children with Cerebral Palsy with their own stem cells to possibly heal and repair damaged brain tissue.

Chloe had an experimental procedure in late May. Her parents noticed improvement a couple of days later.

"She began saying words we had worked weeks and weeks to try and get her to say, one being her nickname, 'Coco' and that was music to our ears," Jenny Levine said.

The Levine's stored Chloe's cord blood with a company called Cord Blood Registry. It is the world's largest cord blood bank.

The registry said 40 of its clients have been involved in the experimental treatment at Duke University and many of them have shown improvements.

The procedure of cord blood storage is costly: about $2,000 for the collection and $125 a year for storage.

Other parents donate their baby's cord blood to a free public bank for the use of others to treat disease. There is a public bank at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Scientists plan China, HK, Taiwan stem cell trial

Tan Ee Lyn — 9 Mar 2007 00:59:00 GMT

HONG KONG, March 8 (Reuters) - Scientists are preparing for a large clinical trial in 2008 which aims to use stem cells to help 400 patients with spinal cord injuries in Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan grow new cells and nerve fibres.

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood will be injected into the spinal cords of the participants, who will also be given lithium to help stimulate cell regeneration, said Wise Young, a leading neuroscientist and spinal cord injury researcher.
"What we'd like to do is study a broad range of patients, not just (those with) complete (spinal cord injuries)," said Young, professor at Rutgers' department of cellbiology and neuroscience. Rutgers is the state university in New Jersey in the U.S.

Researchers are now giving lithium to 20 patients in Hong Kong in the phase 1 safety and feasibility trial. Lithium is a chemical element that is believed to boost cell regeneration.

In preparation for the large 2008 trial, which will involve 400 patients in 14 mainland Chinese cities, Hong Kong and Taipei, doctors in all three places recently agreed on the method to deliver stem cells into spinal cords, said Young, who is also a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong.

Stem cells extracted from matching umbilical cord blood taken from public blood banks will be injected into the spinal cords of the subjects, who will also be given lithium.

The procedure should hopefully help subjects grow new nerve fibres and "bridges" -- structures that allow the new fibres to reconnect with other parts of the spinal cord.

"Our main outcome measure will be neurological motor and sensory scores," Young said in an interview with selected media. "We want to see whether the patients recover sensation. It has three measures: touch, pain which is assessed by pin-prick, and the third is strength of 10 standardised muscles."
STEM CELL GIANT?

The trial, the biggest in the field in Asia, comes as China is devoting significant resources into stem cell research.
Its attitude and achievements have drawn U.S.-based scientists like Young to conduct research there due to opposition to embryonic stem cell research in the United States.

Opponents of embryonic stem cell research, including President George W. Bush, say it is unethical to experiment on human embryos, even those never destined to become a baby.

Stem cells are the body's master cells, found throughout the tissue and blood. Whether from the adult or from embryos, they may be used to find treatments and cures for serious diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
Embryonic stem cells are considered potentially the most powerful but are also the most controversial, and federal law greatly restricts the use of taxpayer money to pay for experiments using them.

"Scientists in the U.S. are so upset at the stopping of (embryonic) stem cell research, but this would be a great opportunity for Asia, great opportunity for China ... because there are so many researchers working in this field," Young said, adding that Hong Kong had a special position in all of this.

"Hong Kong is in a special position for science because it has credibility. Many people don't trust what is going on inside China," he said, noting also that Hong Kong badly needed government support and funding.

Private donors are funding the US$26 million spinal cord clinical trial.

Researchers Make Stem Cell Breakthrough

Kim Tae-gyu "voc200@koreatimes.co.kr" — 23 Jan 2007 22:48:54 GMT

A team of South Korean scientists has grown pancreatic beta cells, which can help treat diabetes, from stem cells taken from the umbilical cord blood of new born babies.

The team, headed by Prof. Kang Kyung-sun of Seoul National University, Tuesday announced they had differentiated stem cells from cord blood cells into ones that secrete insulin.

The exploit will be featured by the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, the U.S.-based weekly that documents breakthrough papers in biotechnology.

``We converted cord blood stem cells into pancreatic beta cells, which creates insulin, a substance that when it is missing can cause diabetes,’’ Kang said.

``This is arguably the first tangible advance in the study of the cord blood stem cells, with which so many scientists compete to make progress,’’ the 43-year-old professor said.

Umbilical cord blood is a small volume of blood retrieved from after the delivery of a baby.
Late last October, the BBC reported researchers at the University of Newcastle had grown coin-sized liver tissue from cord blood stem cells.

However, the Newcastle scientists have yet to author a paper on their work and this prompted experts to be cautious in evaluating the potential of cord blood stem cells.

By comparison, Kang and his team wrote an article on their feat and also applied for patents on the differentiation technology.

``The number of diabetes patients amounts to roughly 5 million in Korea alone,’’ Kang said.

``We hope cord blood stem cell-related advances will help them. It will enable patients to grapple with diabetes without causing ethical debates unlike that on embryonic stem cells,’’ he said.

Experiments with embryonic stem cells have constantly generated ethical controversies as they involve human embryos, which some regard as living beings.

But Kang said cord blood stem cells will not cause controversy as they are extracted from the umbilical cord, which is usually discarded after the birth of a baby.

BioE has confirmed its Multi-Lineage Progenitor Cell is the first human cord blood stem cell to differentiate into a type of lung cell

Victoria Harrison — 2 Nov 2006 05:00:00 GMT

The study showed that the stem cell could differentiate into a type II alveolar lung cell. This advance in adult stem cell research could someday lead to treatments for patients with lung diseases. Type II alveolar cells are responsible for secreting a material that helps stabilize the lung's air sacs during respiration. The Multi-Lineage Progenitor Cell (MLPC) is a rare stem cell derived from human umbilical cord blood that was discovered by BioE and has shown the capacity to turn into multiple cell and tissue types.

"Based on this research, it's quite possible the MLPC will have utility as a highly functional research tool for studying lung pathophysiology in a human model. We hope to translate this early success with the MLPC into future research breakthroughs that ultimately provide therapeutic benefits to patients suffering from lung injuries and respiratory disease," said David McKenna, medical director of the Clinical Cell Therapy Lab at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview .

As a result of the research the University of Minnesota and BioE recently entered into a joint research collaboration to further evaluate the use of the MLPC for creating airway epithelial cells, such as type II alveolar cells, that could aid in combating diseases such as emphysema, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary injury. This new research is expected to conclude in mid-2008.

Stem cell cure hope for back pain

30 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT

A patient's own stem cells could soon be used to cure chronic back pain, say researchers.
The team from the University of Manchester hope their treatment will be available within three years.
They are perfecting a way to rebuild the soft shock-absorbing discs which separate the vertebrae in the spine.
Damage to these intervertebral discs (IVDs) is a common cause of debilitating low back pain which affects around 12 million in the UK.

A treatment which effectively cured the problem could potentially save the UK economy as much as £5 billion a year.
The new therapy, developed by Dr Stephen Richardson, uses mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adult bone marrow to regenerate spinal discs.
MSCs are a class of stem cell which can grow into many different cell types, including bone, cartilage, fat and muscle.
Dr Richardson has succeeded in turning MSCs into the cells which make up the gel-like nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue separating the vertebrae.
He plans to begin pre-clinical trials next year, with full patient trials to follow on.
Dr Richardson said: "Once we have extracted the bone marrow from the patient and have purified the MSCs, they will be grown in culture and our patented method of differentiation will be applied.
"They will then be embedded within a gel which can be implanted back into the patient."

No rejection
Since the stem cells are taken from the patient's own body, there is no chance of them being rejected by the immune system.
The gel is based on a natural collagen similar to one already used for the treatment of cartilage defects.
It is implanted using an arthroscope, a thin tube device slipped through a small incision in the back.
Dr Richardson said there was no reason why a patient should not return home on the same day as the procedure, or the day after.
He said: "Once implanted, the differentiated MSCs would produce a new NP tissue with the same properties as the original and would both treat the underlying cause of the disease and remove the painful symptoms."
Currently, low back pain is treated with a combination of painkillers, physiotherapy or surgery.
In severe cases tissue is removed to relieve the pain, or vertebrae fused together.
However, success is limited, and these techniques do not solve the root cause of the problem.

Dries Hettinga, research and information manager at the charity BackCare, said: "This is a really exciting area of research and although it is still early days, the initial results look very promising."

Patients' own stem cells may treat coronary disease.

Jennifer Bails — 10 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers announced Monday they are participating in a clinical trial to test the safety and gauge the promise of using injections of a patient's own stem cells to treat a severe form of coronary artery disease.

UPMC plans to enroll 20 patients in the Phase II trial who suffer from chronic myocardial ischemia, a potentially fatal condition where the coronary arteries narrow and restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. These blockages can cause severe chest pain called angina, heart attacks and progressive heart failure.

Preliminary data from an early-stage trial showed that 16 of 24 ischemia patients who received the experimental stem cell therapy reported less chest pain and an easier time exercising.

"We believe these stem cells have the capacity for regenerating more blood vessels that will replace the ones that have become blocked," said Dr. Joon Sup Lee, who directs the UPMC Cardiovascular Institute and will oversee the trial locally.

Altogether, 150 patients at 15 to 20 research sites nationwide will be enrolled in the study led by doctors at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston and sponsored by Baxter Healthcare Corp. The Illinois-based company manufactures the laboratory equipment that will be used to isolate the stem cells.

Stem cells are deployed where needed to repair normal wear and tear. By giving the heart an extra-large dose of stem cells, doctors hope to help the body do what it usually does, only better.

Patients in the study will receive a five-day course of skin injections of a protein that stimulates release of stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream.

The stem cells then will be harvested from the blood through a painless procedure, called apheresis, which removes desired components from the blood and returns the rest to the body.

After processing the cells in the lab, the UPMC researchers will use a computerized navigation system to deliver them back into the heart using a thin, flexible tube with a needlelike tip called an injection catheter.

The minimally invasive procedure will take about an hour and cause mild discomfort in the groin where the catheter is inserted.

One-third of patients will receive placebo injections, another third will receive injections of 10 million cells and a third group of patients will receive 50 million cells.

UPMC doctors already have administered these treatments randomly to six ischemia patients who didn't respond to drugs and weren't candidates for conventional procedures to improve blood flow such as coronary artery bypass surgery or stent placement, Lee said.

"Certainly we haven't had any problems or complications, and some of the patients are feeling better, but it is blinded to us and them so we can't know who received what treatment until we are finished," Lee said. Results from the trial should be available in 12 to 18 months.

If the treatment proves safe and effective, the researchers could seek approval for its widespread use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Two other studies are under way at UPMC, looking at whether stem cells isolated from the bone marrow and injected into the heart through a chest incision can help patients with severe congestive heart failure, where the heart loses its pumping power.

Athletes are freezing their kids' stem cells to use for themselves in case of injuries.

Randy Starkman — 31 Aug 2006 05:45:00 GMT

It looms as the ultimate "repair kit" for elite athletes - stem cells harvested from their newborn's umbilical cord used to treat career-threatening injuries.

The Sunday Times reported recently that at least five professional soccer players in England have had stem cells from the blood of their children's umbilical cords frozen. It's being done to protect their progeny in the event of future illness, but is also seen by some of the athletes as a potential aid to fix their own damaged cartilage and ligaments in the future.

One unidentified Premier League player told the British newspaper: "As a footballer, if you're prone to injury it can mean the end of your career, so having your stem cells - a repair kit, if you like - on hand makes sense."

Paul Melia, president and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, said the ethical implications are disturbing.

"Obviously, we're going to be concerned if people start having children to have spare parts on hand, shall we say, if things go wrong," Melia said.

"Setting that concern aside, I don't know if it would be unethical if it was stored for the child and was also used by the parents.

"From a doping perspective, there's the use of stored materials for therapeutic repair versus genetic enhancement. Gene therapy that brings things to a normal state is fine. But what happens when that genetic therapy is being used to enhance human capacity, say to create more fast-twist muscle fibre in a sprinter? That would be considered a doping method versus a repair."

There are no reported cases of athletes in Canada storing their newborns' stem cells with a similar purpose in mind.

Stem cells have the ability to replicate, so they can be used to regenerate damaged organs and tissue, and injury or disease could be reversed. But there is no guarantee a child's stem cells would be a donor match for a parent.

U.S. President George W. Bush declared five years ago that no federal funding could be used for embryonic stem-cell research. Last month, he vetoed a bill that would have allowed such research. The subject remains highly controversial.

"This bill would support the taking of innocent human life in the hope of finding medical benefits for others. It crosses a moral boundary that our society needs to respect, so I vetoed it," Bush said at a White House event to mark the veto.

Dr. Darrell Ogilvie-Harris, one of Canada 's top orthopedic surgeons, said he believes the stem cells from umbilical cords could be ready for use in repairing ligaments and cartilage within the decade.

"From a purely scientific point of view, there's no question that technology offers the brightest possible potential for human regeneration in the future," said Ogilvie-Harris, who formerly worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But Dr. Renn Crichlow, a former world champion kayaker for Canada who works as an orthopedic surgeon in Indianapolis, said he thinks the science is further off than that, and he has major issues with the ethics of athletes using stem cells that have been stored for their children's future health.

"It's different when you're harvesting or you're potentially saving the stem cells to save the child's life if they got leukemia or advanced liver disease," Crichlow said. "But to prolong your career in sport after you've had a potential irrecoverable injury, that's losing sight of what sport's supposed to be about. It's saving the kid's cord blood to produce hyper-performance."

Dr. Doug Richards, a former Toronto Raptors physician who runs the McIntosh sports medicine clinic at the University of Toronto , doesn't see it as an ethical issue.

"There's a kid who's giving 70 per cent of his liver to his father in the hospital (in Toronto )," Richards said. "What if he could say, `Want some stem cells from my umbilical cord blood, we can grow you a new liver here?' Which is preferable? Is it ethical to give his father his liver surgically but not to have some of his umbilical cord blood?"

Adult Stem Cell Research May Help Patients With Knee Problems, Arthritis

Steven Ertelt — 22 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Adult stem cell research may soon have another medical issue that can be added to the list of diseases or ailments patients have that it can offer help. Scientists are studying whether injections of bone marrow cells can spark regrowth in cartilage to help repair damaged knees.
Knee problems are very common -- they occur in people of all ages and can be the result of disease or injury.
Several kinds of supporting and moving parts, including bones, cartilage, muscles, ligaments, and tendons, help the knees do their job. Each of these structures is subject to disease and injury.
The ends of the three bones in the knee joint are covered with articular cartilage, a tough, elastic material that helps absorb shock and allows the knee joint to move smoothly. The cartilage can be damaged or deteriorate over time, but it has a limited ability to repair itself.
Doctors are hoping that adult stem cells could spark that self-repair ability and put it into overdrive.
If successful, the adult stem cell treatments could bring new hope for people with sports injuries or senior citizens suffering from arthritis.
The first clinical trial involving the bone marrow stem cells has begun to try to regenerate the meniscus. Doctors will be using mesenchymal stem cells, the adult stem cells that live in bone marrow and can transform into cartilage-forming cells called chondrocytes.
Some 55 patients have signed up for both stem cell injections and a placebo and the first results are expected to come in around October.
Dr. C. Thomas Vangsness of the University of Southern California , is the lead researcher in the study, which has been funded by stem-cell producer Osiris Therapeutics.
"No one's ever looked at the meniscus in terms of volume," he told AP. "It's very interesting what I'm seeing."
He said he has not encountered any safety problems yet and is looking forward to finding out the results when the study is completed.
Vangsness also said he wants to make sure too many cartilage cells aren't produced.
"You want to make some cartilage cells. Well, how do you turn it off? You don't want too many. We're sort of walking a tightrope," he told AP.
"It's very, very exciting research," Dr. David C. Johnson, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Washington Hospital Center , told the Associated Press.

Concentrate on adult stem-cell research

Peter Hafnerp — 17 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT

Human life begins at conception and continues through the embryonic and fetal stages, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. We were all embryos once.

The preamble to our Declaration of Independence states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Note the source of these human rights. These rights do not ultimately come from "this-worldly principles of proper political interaction rooted in man's rational nature" as your guest's view from Ayn Rand Institute states (July 21 edition). These rights come ultimately from man's Creator.

Note, too, the order of these rights: life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. One human being's liberty must not trump another's life. We are not free to do anything that is possible to do, if our actions take human life. Embryos are human life at an early stage. We are not at liberty to destroy them, even for research.

Let's push adult stem-cell research. Adult stem cells can be found in almost any part of the human body: skin, fat, bone marrow and a newborn's cord, blood or placenta. No one has to die to obtain adult stem cells and because the cells come from an individual's own body, they are not rejected. Adult stem cells can be kept growing almost indefinitely in a culture.

U of T Boosts Stem Cell Growth; Discovery Will Aid Adults with Blood Cancers More Cells Harvested from Umbilical Cord Blood

Matthew Kwong — 20 Oct 2005 05:00:00 GMT

A discovery by a team of University of Toronto bioengineers will boost the treatment of adults with blood-borne cancers through the use of umbilical cord blood. "Normally, umbilical cord blood contains only enough (blood stem cells) to treat children," said Peter Zandstra, the head researcher at U of T's Stem Cell Bioengineering Lab. "If we can start to grow blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood, we can get five times more of the cells and ... we'll be able to treat adult diseases as well." Blood stem cells are primarily used to treat cancers such as leukemia, but by deriving the cells from umbilical cords - a previously unused source because they yield such low counts - scientists can dramatically broaden their therapeutic use. Umbilical cord blood can be used in place of bone marrow for transplants into patients with blood cancers.

In any culture, blood stem cells are very rare, but Zandstra's team found a way to remove the unwanted cells to create an environment where the stem cells could thrive. "It's been very hard to grow blood stem cells at all," he said in a release. "We've tried to understand how these cells talk to each other, and by controlling that, trying to get the ones we want to grow better." The team found that by removing the unwanted "linage-positive cells," which secrete molecules inhibiting stem-cell growth, they could create an environment in which stem cells would thrive.

A "bioreactor" developed by the scientists allowed the stem cells to grow in a closed and controlled environment, away from contaminants. For decades, since the U of T-led discovery of stem cells in 1961, scientists around the world have been searching for ways to broaden the number of stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood. "We have this source of cells - umbilical cord blood - that is normally thrown away. Now that we start to grow these cells, perhaps a vast majority of patients with blood cancers who are adults will benefit." The team's findings are published in the October issue of Experimental Hematology.

Zandstra hopes to move on to clinical trials within a year. The team's findings are published in the October issue of Experimental Hematology. Zandstra hopes to move on to clinical trials within a year.

Stem Cells - Umbilical Cord Offers New Hope

1 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT

Scientists believe that they could produce embryonic-like stem cells from umbilical cord blood in order to treat people with diseases.
A group of experts from the UK and the US have discovered that cells from the umbilical cord may be able to be used in the same way as embryonic stem cells, which have the potential to turn into any type of human tissue.
If correct, this could prove to be a major step for current stem cell research since it would allow the medical profession to avoid using embryonic stem cells, which are mired in controversy. It would also bring fresh hope to patients awaiting treatment for a range of illnesses, including diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis. Dr Colin McGuckin, director of the Stem Cell Therapy Programme at Kingston University and one of the experts conducting the study, said: "Acquiring stem cells from embryos has major limitations because it is difficult to obtain enough cells to transplant as well as getting the right tissue type for the patient.
Using cord blood gets over that obstacle because we can produce more stem cells and, with a global birth rate of 100 million babies a year, there is a better chance of getting the right tissue type for the many patients out there waiting for stem cell therapy," Dr McGuckin added.

The research has not yet proved that these cells have the potential to develop into any type of cell, which is the characteristic of a true stem cell.