Research and News

Scientific advances have occurred over the last few years using cord blood stem cells in the field of regenerative medicine where preclinical research and human studies are revealing encouraging early data in such areas as cerebral palsy, brain injury, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Below is a collection of published papers, scientific presentations from major medical meetings, and news stories highlighting the emerging animal and clinical data from cord blood stem cell studies in various regenerative medicine applications.

Clinical Trial in Juvenile Diabetes
The University of Florida is conducting a clinical trial to determine the potential of cord blood stem cells to regenerate insulin production in juvenile diabetes patients.

• Read American Diabetes Association (ADA) press release covering initial clinical data presented at the 67th Scientific Sessions in Chicago
• Read a news article about the University of Florida clinical trial on cord blood stem cells in juvenile diabetes:
• View television news stories about University of Florida Type 1 diabetes clinical trial:
  Diabetes Clinical Trial: Dr. Desmond Schatz
  http://www.king5.com/health/storiesl
  
• View webcast presentations of the data presented at the ADA 67th ADA Scientific Sessions:
• "Review a 2008 published paper reporting on interim data from the diabetes trial"

Neurological Conditions

Animal and human studies are researching the potential of using one's own cord blood stem cells to improve neurological conditions, such as anoxic brain injury at birth, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and the aging brain.

• "Using a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved investigational new drug (IND) protocol, researchers at the University of Texas have initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial using an infusion of a person's own (autologous) bone marrow stem cells as an adjunct in treatment for children with isolated severe traumatic brain injury. Based on encouraging interim results from this trial, they are now in the late planning phases for additional clinical trials that would use autologous cord blood stem cells to treat nervous system conditions.
oView the study protocol of the bone marrow safety trial
• View television segment of University of Texas neurologist and clinical researcher James E. Baumgartner, M.D. discuss the potential of cord blood stem cells to treat traumatic brain injury
• Dr. Charles Cox, University of Texas Pediatric Surgeon and clinical researcher, outlines how cord blood is being used to treat children with all types of brain injury.
• View these news stories about a girl who received her own cord blood stem cells as part of a Duke University study and reversed her cerebral palsy symptoms:
  
  ohttp://www.youtube.com/watch
  oGirl's Own Cord Blood Used to Treat Her Brain Injury
• A Meier, et al study published in Pediatric Research (2006) demonstrates that cord blood stem cells migrate to damaged brain tissue in rats, alleviating brain damage symptoms
• In a study published in the journal BMC Neuroscience (2008), researches from the University of South Florida (USF) demonstrate that injection of human umbilical cord blood helps the aging brain. When human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC) were injected into aged laboratory animals, the researchers found improvements in the microenvironment of the hippocampus region of the animals' brains and a subsequent rejuvenation of neural stem/progenitor cells.
oRead a USF press release about the study
oReview the published article
oRead a news article about the data

Heart Conditions
According to research presented at the 2008 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, children with heart defects may someday receive perfectly-matched new heart valves built using stem cells from their umbilical cord blood.

• Review the study that was presented at the 2008 AHA Scientific Sessions
• American Heart Association press release about the data: http://americanheart.mediaroom.com
• Read a news article about the data: http://www.bloomberg.com

Hearing Loss
Read a study published in Cell Transplantation (2008) demonstrating that animal subjects, whose hearing was damaged and were treated with cord blood stem cells, showed significant healing to the damaged portion of the inner ear.

The Science of Cord Blood Stem Cells
A study presented by Joanne Kurtzberg, M.D. at the 2005 American Society of Hematology Meeting suggests that cord blood is a unique stem cell source that will be an important resource for cellular therapies in the future.

• McGuckin, et al study (2008) demonstrates that cord blood stem cells contain embryonic-like stem cells possessing embryonic properties
• Harris, et al study (2007) concludes that umbilical cord blood is a unique source of pulripotent stem cells for regenerative medicine.
• C. van de Ven, et al study (2007) concludes that umbilical cord blood has the ability to differentiate into many different cell types --such as cardiac, neuronal, hepatic and epithelial -- and thus "may be a suitable alternative to embryonic stem cells for tissue replacement and repair."
• A study presented by Joanne Kurtzberg, M.D. at the 2005 American Society of Hematology Meeting suggests that cord blood is capable of is a unique stem cell source for cellular therapies in the future.
• A Meier, et al study published in Pediatric Research (2006) demonstrates that cord blood stem cells migrate to damaged brain tissue in rats, alleviating brain damage symptoms.
• A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2005) demonstrated improved neurological outcomes in newborns with Krabbe disease who were treated with umbilical cord blood.

Published papers review the attributes and therapeutic potential of cord blood stem cells:

• Harris Exp Opin 2007
• US OB Gyn 2008 Willert

Our Members

Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)

National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH)

Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation

Dr. Ian Rogers, University of Toronto

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