New England Journal of Medicine Study Demonstrates Feasibility Of Using Umbilical Cord Blood in Adult Transplants

A recent article published by Laughlin, et. al. on June 14, 2001, in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) further validates new options available to patients in need of stem cell transplants. The study, collaborated on by top researchers in the field of stem cell therapy, demonstrates that umbilical-cord blood (UCB) from unrelated donors is a feasible alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for use in adults, to treat certain diseases...

New England Journal of Medicine Study Demonstrates Feasibility Of Using Umbilical Cord Blood in Adult Transplants 
Recent Study Expands Body of Science Supporting Use of Cord Blood Stem Cells BOSTON, June 20, 2001 – PRNewswire  


A recent article published by Laughlin, et. al. on June 14, 2001, in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) further validates new options available to patients in need of stem cell transplants. The study, collaborated on by top researchers in the field of stem cell therapy, demonstrates that umbilical-cord blood (UCB) from unrelated donors is a feasible alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells for use in adults, to treat certain diseases such as hematologic cancer and other non-malignant diseases. 
The data from this multi-center study demonstrated that 90 percent of the adult patients undergoing UCB stem cell transplantation achieved engraftment of HLA-mismatched donor cells and reconstitution of their hematopoietic system. Additionally, the incidence and severity of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were low, despite this HLA mismatching. 
"This study makes a major contribution to our understanding of stem cell therapy," said Dr. Harvey G. Klein, Chief, Department of Transfusion Medicine at the National Institutes of Health and President of the American Association of Blood Banks. "Umbilical cord blood stem cells have been shown effective in the treatment of nearly 40 medical conditions in children, including certain cancers, such as leukemias, and genetic and immune system disorders. These observations have now been extended to adults." 
Dr. Klein added, "Unfortunately, umbilical cord blood is collected and preserved in fewer than 2 percent of the 4.2 million annual births in the United States. This valuable resource is, all too often, discarded as medical waste. Expectant parents need to be educated that their child's cord blood, if collected at birth and stored, may someday be used for a stem cell transplant procedure that may help save a life. Clearly, more parents need to be made aware of the usefulness of umbilical cord blood and of the strides being achieved using umbilical cord blood stem cells in cellular therapies." 
Dr. Andrew L. Pecora, Director of Hematology and Oncology, and Director of the Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Center at Hackensack University Medical Center states, "This study expands our knowledge and the promise of umbilical cord blood stem cells in treating a broader group of patients. The prevailing challenge in using umbilical cord blood as a stem cell source for treating adults is one of having an adequate therapeutic dose of stem cells to treat a larger patient. To answer this challenge, scientists in both the public and the private research communities are exploring various technological means of increasing the numbers of stem cells in a quantity of blood. The progress is encouraging and, through these combined efforts, we hope to develop additional cellular therapies for many of today's untreatable diseases and to expand the range of patients who can benefit from them." 
Developments to meet these needs are currently underway at ViaCell, Inc. CEO and Chairman of ViaCell, Marc Beer, stated, "ViaCell is an organization founded with the mission to advance the development of stem cell therapies and cellular medicines. Our researchers have pioneered a proprietary, patented technology, called Selective Amplification(TM), that produces an increased number of transplantable cord blood cells that are highly enriched in hematopoietic stem cells. We plan to enter clinical trials later this year with our amplification technology and, are very encouraged that it may be able to address the need for additional and optimized cell populations for various cellular treatments. Additionally, Viacord, a division of ViaCell, offers expectant parents the opportunity to preserve their newborn's umbilical cord blood stem cells at birth for potential future use within their family."