News

Aug 2015   A haploidentical transplant (haplo) is a half matched stem cell transplant from a family member. Haplo donors can be parents, children, siblings, and sometimes cousins of the patient. A biologic parent or a biologic child is always a half match to the patient, based on genetics. A haplo transplant can be used when there is no matched sibling or unrelated donor. Recently there has been an increase in the number of haplo transplants, particularly in Europe.

Jul 2015   ClinImmune, led by Brian Freed, PhD, has teamed up with CariCord, led by Calvin Cole. Launched in 2014, this partnership recognizes the growing number of evolving medical applications for both publicly donated and privately stored cord blood stem cells. Parents now have one cord blood bank that both accepts public donations, as well as provides family storage, and develops regenerative medicine therapies, all within a highly accredited and FDA licensed facility

Jul 2015   Since the passage of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, the U.S. federal government has subsidized a national network of public cord blood banks. With this support, the U.S. inventory of unrelated donor cord blood units has increased to over 200,000. These are available to any patient in any nation who needs an unrelated donor for a transplant of blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells.

Jul 2015   The most important factors in determining a successful stem cell transplant are human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match and number of living (viable) cells available for treatment. HLA is the finger print equivalent to see if the donor matches the patient. If they do not, then game over. However, if there is a good enough match, then 25 million total nucleated cells (TNC) per kg of bodyweight are required to give the patient the best chance of a successful stem cell transplant.

Jun 2015   The inaugural Cord Blood Industry Report from the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation reveals that sibling transplants for thalassemia are becoming the dominant allogeneic therapy with cord blood from family banks. An allogeneic therapy is any therapy where the cord blood is used for a person other than the baby from which it originated. A pie chart of the cumulative allogeneic therapies through the end of 2013 is shown at left.

Jun 2015   AMTF stands for Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation. AMTF - Helping Blood Disorders is a charitable foundation that was launched in November 2003 by Dr. Asim Qidwai along with a group of doctors, philanthropists, social workers, and parents of children suffering with blood disorders, sharing a vision of developing a center in Pakistan with a multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of children with blood disorders.

May 2015   The ocular (eye) surface includes two major territories: the cornea and the conjunctiva, bordered by the upper and lower eyelids. It is imperative that this ocular surface remains healthy to ensure clear vision, maintain comfort and guard against infections. The ability to form tears plays an essential role in the maintenance of a healthy cornea and conjunctiva. The tear film over the eye's surface consists of mucus, aqueous, and lipid layers and contains many growth factors and vitamin A, which are essential for regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of the ocular surface epithelium.

May 2015   There is an aura that surrounds stem cells and their use. These rare cells are lifesaving, and are often the last resort, when transplanted into patients with blood malignancies. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a source of blood stem cells and their use to treat patients has been embraced worldwide since the first UCB stem cell transplant in 1988.

Apr 2015   Stem cell therapy has the ability to revolutionise how we treat debilitating and life threatening illnesses. Despite the potency and potential of stem cells in cord blood, millions of litres of cord blood are discarded in the UK on a daily basis. This happens due to under resourced hospitals and low levels of awareness amongst healthcare professionals and parents-to-be. Wasting this resource has had a significant impact on the development of stem cell therapies in the UK and consequently the number of lives that can be saved.

Apr 2015   /en/family-bankingSpain is a "funny" country from the private cord blood banking perspective, let me explain: Spain has a decentralised health system comprising 19 regions (Autonomous Communities), that each regulates their own hospitals. Some regions are as small as a city, for example Ceuta or Melilla. Each region has its own health competence or "ministry" that operates its own accreditation system. It is probably difficult to understand that a country with a size in square meters between Florida and Texas has such a complicated health structure. This political organisation comes down from the cultural and political idiosyncrasy in Spain. So having explained that let me explain the legal status of private cord blood banking in Spain.