News

Nov 2019   This investigative report examines the medical and financial parallels between placenta donation and organ donation.  Despite their many similarities, organ donation has a good reputation while placenta donation is the target of negative press. Better public education is needed to remedy this situation.

Nov 2019   The world's 2nd expanded access program offering cord blood stem cell therapy to children with cerebral palsy has opened in Europe. At present the program only accepts children that have a diagnosis of cerebral palsy and have their own cord blood in storage. This progam is operated by FamiCord Group and is free to clients in their Transplant Assistance plan.

Nov 2019   Cerebral Palsy Alliance is a worldwide charity that is conducting a survey of families that have traveled outside their home country to obtain commercial stem cell therapy for a child with cerebral palsy.  The survey is only open to families from Australia and the United States.

Oct 2019   Henrique is in remission from severe aplastic anemia following a stem cell transplant with his own umbilical cord blood. It was the first time that autologous cord blood was used to treat aplastic anemia in Portugal.

Oct 2019   Facundo Cañon is an Argentinian boy of 7 years old who has cerebral palsy due to hypoxic encephalopathy at birth. His parents saved Facu´s umbilical cord blood with MaterCell, and this gave them a chance to participate in the Duke clinical trial for cerebral palsy. The infusion of his own cord blood gave Facu a chance to improve in many skill areas.

Oct 2019   CSG-BIO has taken over the brand identity of the former Cryo-Save Europe, now known simply as “CryoSave”. They plan to set up operations in Switzerland and restore CryoSave to a leadership role in cord blood banking in Europe.

Sep 2019   Sofia was a 3 year old in Ukraine who nearly drowned and was left in a coma. Sofia now leads an ordinary life, thanks to cord blood from her baby sister and lots of rehabilitation.

Sep 2019   Cord blood is a serious competitor in cell therapy for stroke because it is available off the shelf and HLA matching of MNC can be relaxed. Recent trials are pushing the envelope of just how much matching is needed for allogeneic cord blood. In cell therapy trials for stroke over the time Jan. 2018 - July 2019, the top two cell sources were bone marrow (43%) and cord blood (18%), and the top two cell types were MSC (49%) and MNC (35%).

Sep 2019   HEMAFUND cord blood bank in Kyiv Ukraine has provided cord blood to help over 360 children who needed surgery shortly after birth. This includes over 174 children with complex critical congenital heart defects. The CorD Program makes it possible to identify children with serious heart defects in utero, arrange to collect their cord blood at birth, and rush the children to surgery supported by cord blood within hours of birth. The CorD Program is a partnership of HEMAFUND with the Scientific-Practical Medical Center of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery led by Prof. Illya Emec. HEMAFUND is committed to medical research and public health programs that may improve the lives of families in the Ukraine.

Aug 2019   A savior child can provide cord blood that is a match to an older sibling that needs a stem cell transplant. Conceiving a savior child requires Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT) that screens embryos to both exclude genetic diseases and include matching HLA types. To avoid a slippery slope into creating designer babies, the clinics that perform PGT should adhere to ethical guidelines.