Cord Blood News Volume 3.21 | Jun 2 2011

Neurexophilin 1 Suppresses the Proliferation of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells
Researchers evaluated effects of neurexophilins on human cord blood and murine bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells. [Blood]

Maternal and Gestational Factors and Micronuclei Frequencies in Umbilical Blood: the NewGeneris Rhea Cohort in Crete
Researchers investigated the formation of micronuclei in full term and preterm newborns and their mothers from the Rhea cohort (Crete) applying for the first time in cord blood a validated semi-automated analysis system, in both mono- and binucleated T-lymphocytes. [Environ Health Perspect]

T Cells Raised Against Allogeneic HLA-A2/CD20 Kill Primary Follicular Lymphoma and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells
Researchers recently demonstrated that highly peptide- and HLA-specific T cells can be readily generated against allogeneic HLA-A*02:01 in complex with a peptide from the B cell-restricted protein CD20. In the present study, they show that such CD20-specific T cells can easily be induced from naïve precursors in cord blood, demonstrating that they do not represent cross-reactive memory cells. [Int J Cancer]

Mitochondrial Function and Energy Metabolism in Umbilical Cord Blood – and Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
The present work focuses on the mitochondrial function of human mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord blood, bone marrow cells from donors under 18 years old (BMMSC<18) and over 50 years old (BMMSC>50). [Stem Cells Dev]

Characterization of Human Late Outgrowth Endothelial Progenitor-Derived Cells under Various Flow Conditions
Endothelial progenitor-derived cells were isolated from human cord blood, cultured on compliant tubes and exposed in an in vitro flow system mimicking hemodynamic environments normally found in medium and large arteries. [J Vasc Res]

Distribution of Dystrophin- and Utrophin-associated Protein Complexes (DAPC/UAPC) in Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells
In the present study, researchers characterized pattern expression by immunoblot technique and, by confocal microscopy analysis, the cellular distribution of dystrophin and utrophin gene products, and the dystrophin-associated proteins (α-, β-dystroglycan, α-syntrophin, α-dystrobrevin) in relation to actin filaments in freshly isolated CD34+ cells from umbilical cord blood. [Eur J Haematol]

Isolation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells using the Total Length of Umbilical Cord for Transplantation Purposes
Here, researchers report a detailed enzymatic method where a large number of cells can be efficiently isolated from the cord matrix and cryopreserved on the same day of arrival at the laboratory. [Transfus Med]

Maternal Understanding of Commercial Cord Blood Storage for their Offspring – A Survey among Pregnant Women in Hong Kong
The survey explored knowledge about the use of self-stored umbilical cord blood stem cells and attitude towards cord blood banking. [Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand]

Umbilical Cord Blood Banking: An Update
This review summarizes the status of umbilical cord blood banking, its history and current and potential use in the treatment of human disease. [J Assist Reprod Genet]