Cord Blood News Volume 5.12 | Mar 28 2013

Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Improve Survival and Enhance Repair of Damaged Intestine in Necrotizing Enterocolitis via a COX-2 Dependent Mechanism
Investigators tested the hypothesis that amniotic fluid stem cells exerted a beneficial effect in a neonatal rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis. [Gut] Abstract | Press Release

Plant-Produced Human Recombinant Erythropoietic Growth Factors Support Erythroid Differentiation In Vitro
Researchers describe production of four human growth factors: erythropoietin, stem cell factor, interleukin 3 and insulin-like growth factor-1, either as non-fused proteins or as fusions with a carrier molecule, in plants using a Tobacco mosaic virus vector-based transient expression system. By comparing EC50 values of plant-produced cytokines with standards, they demonstrated that all four plant-produced growth factors stimulated the expansion of umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells and their differentiation towards erythropoietic precursors with the same potency as commercially available growth factors. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract

Suppressive Effects of Anthrax Lethal Toxin on Megakaryopoiesis
Scientists evaluated the hypothesis that anthrax lethal toxin (LT) may suppress the progenitor cells of platelets, thereby inducing thrombocytopenic responses. Using cord blood-derived CD34⁺ cells and mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells to perform in vitro differentiation, this work shows that LT suppresses megakaryopoiesis by reducing the survival of megakaryocytes. [PLoS One] Full Article

Comparison of Outcomes after Two Standards-of-Care RIC Regimens and Two Different Graft Sources (FB2A2-PBSC vs dUCB-TCF) for Allogeneic Stem Cells Transplantation (allo-SCT) in Adults with Hematological Diseases: A Single Center Analysis
Scientists compared, retrospectively, the outcomes of adult patients who received either the FB2A2 supported by peripheral blood stem-cells (PBSC) reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen or the TCF regimen supported by double umbilical cord blood units (dUCB) for allo-SCT. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Salvage Allogeneic Hematopoietic SCT for Primary Graft Failure in Children
Investigators retrospectively analyzed 102 pediatric patients who received salvage allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) for primary graft failure. Salvage HSCT from matched or one-Ag-mismatched related donors provided superior OS compared with that from two- or three-Ags-mismatched related donors or cord blood transplantation. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Ex Vivo Expanded Human Cord Blood-Derived Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Induce Lung Growth and Alveolarization in Injured Newborn Lungs
Researchers investigated the capacity of expanded cord blood-derived CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells to undergo respiratory epithelial differentiation ex vivo, and to engraft and attenuate alveolar disruption in injured newborn murine lungs in vivo. [Respir Res] Full Article

Exploring the Use of Expanded Erythroid Cells for Autologous Transfusion for Anemia of Prematurity
Autologous cord blood (CB) red blood cells can partly substitute transfusion needs in premature infants suffering from anemia. To explore whether expanded CB cells could provide additional autologous cells suitable for transfusion, investigators set up a simple one-step protocol to expand premature CB cells. [Transfusion] Abstract

Comparison of Cell Proliferation; Apoptosis; Cellular Morphology and Ultrastructure between Human Umbilical Cord and Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
The authors compared various properties of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with human placenta-derived MSCs, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, cellular morphology, ultrastructure, and their ability to secrete various growth factors (i.e. vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factors-1, and hepatocyte growth factor), which will allow the selection appropriate MSC sources for cellular therapy. [Neurosci Lett] Abstract

ViaCord Releases 250th Cord Blood Stem Cell Unit
ViaCord, PerkinElmer’s family cord blood and tissue preservation business, announced the release of its 250th umbilical cord blood stem cell unit for use in medical treatments and clinical trials. [ViaCord]
Press Release

ThermoGenesis Names Dan Bessey Chief Financial Officer
ThermoGenesis Corp. announced that Dan T. Bessey has joined the Company as Chief Financial Officer. [GlobeNewswire, Inc.] Press Release

Cord Blood Registry Is Advancing Regenerative Medicine Research at Exciting Pace
Cord Blood Registry® (CBR®) is fueling innovation in newborn stem cell research. As CBR prepares to release its 250th cord blood unit for medical use, the newborn stem cell bank announces that 71% of all its units released for use have been for emerging applications in regenerative medicine, such as brain injury, autism and type 1 diabetes. The other 29% have been for traditional transplant use, such as leukemia and sickle cell disease. [Cord Blood Registry] Press Release

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

NEW Clinical Trials: Moving Stem Cell Based Therapies to the Clinic
April 15, 10:00AM (PT in US)
Webinar

NEW Gordon Research Seminar – Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering
July 27-28, 2013
Holderness, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the cord blood community.

Early Stage Researcher PhD Posts – DECIDE ITN (The University of Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Michigan)

Postdoctoral Position – Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Stem Cell Aging (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Foundation)

Postdoctoral Researcher – NK/T Cells (The Ohio State University – Comprehensive Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell Research (University of Washington)

Lecturer or Reader – Associate Professor (University of Reading)

Cord Blood Laboratory Manager (Puget Sound Blood Center)


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