Cord Blood News Volume 9.11 | Mar 23 2017

TOP STORY

Family Cord Blood Banking for Sickle Cell Disease: A Twenty-Year Experience in Two Dedicated Public Cord Blood Banks

Efforts to implement family cord blood banking have been developed in the past decades for siblings requiring stem cell transplantation for conditions such as sickle cell disease. However, public banks are faced with challenging decisions about the units to be stored, discarded, or used for other endeavors.The authors report here 20 years of experience in family cord blood banking for sickle cell disease in two dedicated public banks. [Haematologica] Abstract

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Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Borne Fibroblasts Contain Marrow Niche Precursors that Form a Bone/Marrow Organoid In Vivo

Previously, researchers demonstrated that bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) and cord blood (CB)-blood-borne fibroblast (BF) pellet cultures make cartilage in vitro. Furthermore, upon in vivo transplantation, BMSC pellets remodelled into miniature bone/marrow organoids. Using an in vivo model, researchers asked whether CB-BF populations that express characteristics of the hematopoietic stem cell niche contain precursors that reform the niche. [Development] Full Article

Outcomes after Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation for Myelodysplastic Syndromes

From 2004 to 2013, 176 adult MDS patients underwent UCBT as reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Median age at the time of transplant was 56 years, with 10% having very low, 23% low, 19% intermediate, 19% high, and 13% very high-risk Revised International Prognostic Scoring System scores, respectively. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Cryopreserved Human Umbilical Cord vs. Biocellulose Film for Antenatal Spina Bifida Repair in a Physiologic Rat Model

Investigators compared cryopreserved human umbilical cord and biocellulose film patches sutured over spina bifida lesions for regeneration of native cells and inflammatory response. [Prenat Diagn] Abstract

Anti-Fibrotic Potential of Human Umbilical Cord Mononuclear Cells and Mouse Bone Marrow Cells in CCl₄^– Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice

Scientists investigated the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord mononuclear cells and mouse bone marrow cells against carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) induced liver fibrosis in mice and compared it with that of silymarin. [Biomed Pharmacother] Abstract

Tramadol Differentially Regulates M1 and M2 Macrophages from Human Umbilical Cord Blood

The authors collected human umbilical cord blood, isolated macrophages, and examined their responses to tramadol. Although tramadol did not alter resting macrophages and the antigen-presenting function in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages, it regulated M1 and M2 macrophages, which are, respectively, transformed by IFN-γ and IL-4. [Inflammopharmacology] Abstract

Fifty Years of Research in ARDS. Cell Based Therapy for ARDS: Biology and Potential Therapeutic Value

Phase IIa clinical trials to establish safety in ARDS are in progress, and two Phase I trials did not report any serious adverse events. Several issues need further study including: determining the optimal methods for large scale production; reconstitution of cryopreserved cells for clinical use; defining cell potency assays; and determining the therapeutic potential of conditioned media derived from mesenchymal stromal cells. [Am J Respir Crit Care Med] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cord blood research field.

Gamida Cell Receives Additional EMA Orphan Drug Designation for NiCord^® in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT)

Gamida Cell announced that orphan drug designation has been granted by the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’s) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products regarding NiCord^® as a treatment for HSCT, also commonly known as bone marrow transplantation. [Gamida Cell] Press Release

Aprea Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Aprea Therapeutics announced a collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to study the effects of reactivation of tumor suppressor protein p53 by APR-246. The goal of the collaboration is to evaluate and characterize preclinical efficacy of APR-246 in combination with multiple other anti-cancer agents and across multiple tumor types. [Aprea Therapeutics (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Canada Budget Falls Flat With Scientists

The budget that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government released lives up to his promises to emphasize innovation, and to encourage links between industry and academia. But it also presents scientists with a depressing, and unexpected, freeze on the main funding streams for basic research. [Nature News] Editorial

South Korea’s Scientists Seek Change amid Political Chaos

When South Korea’s Constitutional Court removed scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye from office on 10^th March, citizens rejoiced in the streets — and many scientists breathed a sigh of relief. Her downfall has inspired a public appetite for broad governmental reforms, including changes in how the country supports scientific research. Many in the research community hope to end South Korea’s decades-long focus on applied research and shift more resources to basic science. [Nature News] Editorial

Ethical Guidelines on Lab-Grown Embryos Beg for Revamping, Scientists Say

Researchers in the U.K. and U.S. recently succeeded for the first time in growing embryos in the lab for nearly two weeks before terminating them, showing that the so-called 14-day rule is no longer a scientific limitation — although it remains a cultural one. Now, a group of Harvard University scientists has published a paper arguing that it is time to reconsider the 14-day rule because of advances in synthetic biology. [Scientific American] Editorial

NEW 2^nd Bioprocessing of Advanced Cellular Therapies Congress
June 8-9, 2017
London, United Kingdom

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Research (German Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Research (Helmholtz Association)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Leukemia Research (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles)

Assistant and Associate Professors – Regenerative & Cancer Cell Biology (Albany Medical College)

Staff Scientist/Assistant Professor – Nonmalignant Hematology (New York Blood Center)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Biology (Moffitt Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Positions – Cancer Proteomics (University of British Columbia)

Assistant/Associate Professor – Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation and/or Gene Therapy (Dana Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center)

Research Group Leader – Leukemia Research (University Hospital Basel)

Full Member Faculty – Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Program (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Principle Scientist – Translational Development (Celgene Corporation)

Assistant Associate or Full Member Faculty Position – Myeloid Malignancies (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Assistant Member Faculty – Platinum/Immunotherapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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