Researchers at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) at the University of Montreal (Canada) announced the discovery of a new molecule that can multiply the stem cells in a unit of cord blood. The umbilical cord stem cells used for transplantation aimed at curing a number of blood-related diseases, including leukemia, myeloma and lymphoma.
Directed by Dr. Guy Sauvageau, lead researcher and hematologist in Iric Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital of this advance has the potential to increase tenfold the number of units of cord blood available for transplant in humans. Also significantly reduce the complications associated with transplantation of stem cells and will be particularly useful for non-Caucasian patients, for whom it is difficult to identify compatible donors.
In December this year, will start at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital clinical study using this molecule, called UM171 in honor of the University of Montreal, and a new type of bioreactor culture developed through collaboration with the University of Toronto.
According to Guy Sauvageau, "this new molecule, combined with new bioreactor technology, allow thousands of patients around the world access to a safer transplant stem cells." "Given that many patients can not currently benefit from a stem cell transplant for non-donors, this finding seems to be very promising for the treatment of various cancers," he says.
The Centre of Excellence for cell therapy in the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital will serve as the unit of production of these stem cells and the grafts were distributed to patients in Montreal, Quebec and Vancouver for the first Canadian clinical trial. Tangible results are expected to be taken one year later, ie, in December 2015.
Over time, the conclusive clinical findings could revolutionize the treatment of leukemia and other blood related diseases. The umbilical cord blood of newborns is an excellent source of stem cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplants because their immune systems are still immature and stem cells are less likely to induce an adverse immune reaction in the recipient.
Furthermore, it is not necessary that the immunological compatibility between donor and recipient is perfect, unlike bone marrow transplantation. However, in most cases the number of stem cells from umbilical cord is too low for the treatment of an adult and their use is mainly limited to children therapy.
With the new molecule UM171, be possible to multiply stem cells in culture and produce enough to treat adults, especially those who are not Caucasian and that the lack of donors have been limited access to transplants.
Delaying the cut. Another scientific study, in this case conducted by researchers at the University of Granada (Spain), showed that delaying cutting the umbilical cord of new born two minutes produces a better development of the baby during the first days of life.
The multidisciplinary work, published in the journal Pediatrics, shows that the time cutting the umbilical cord, also called cord clamping influences resistance to oxidative stress in neonates.
For research, the experts worked with a sample of 64 healthy pregnant women who gave birth. All of them had a normal pregnancy and spontaneous vaginal delivery. Half of the infants had cut the umbilical cord after 10 seconds, and half to two minutes.
The results of this experiment suggest a beneficial effect of delayed cord cutting, as was an increase in the antioxidant capacity of term infants and moderate inflammatory effects in the case of induced labor.
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