Stem Cell Blog
Употребата на матичните клетки од папочна врвца рапидно се зголемува. Пред 10 години крвта од папочна врвца можеше да лекува околу 40 состојби, но денес таа бројка е над 80. Со нетрпение очекуваме нови терапии за болести и нарушувања како што се дијабет, аутизам и мозочен удар, можете да бидете во тек со најновите случувања во регенеративната медицина на нашиот блог за матични клетки.
This year’s World Sickle Cell Day is on the 19th June, a day to recognise and raise awareness of the disease, the millions around the world who suffer from it, and ongoing research into how treatment is advancing.
With this year’s theme being ‘we are STRONGER TOGETHER’, we thought it would be a good opportunity to highlight how cord blood transplants between siblings have emerged as a viable treatment alternative for those suffering from the condition.
Making use of sibling cord blood necessitates having it in storage and so in celebration of World Sickle Cell day, we wanted to highlight how cord blood banking could provide a lifeline for those suffering from the disease, as well as how storing cord blood for your baby could help safeguard the health of your family.
What is sickle cell disease?
Sickle cell disease is the name for a group of inherited blood disorders that are passed down from parents to children.
Particularly common amongst those who have African or Caribbean heritage, sickle cell disease inhibits the haemoglobin in red blood cells from carrying oxygen.
This can lead to the red blood cells in those with the condition to become misshapen, inflexible and liable to sticking together and blocking blood flow, causing tremendous pain – known as sickle cell crises – in addition to an increased risk of stroke, lung problems, eye problems and infection.
The disease gets its name from the shape of the red blood cells affected by the condition: crescent or ‘sickle’ shaped rather than discoid. [1]
What treatments are available for sickle cell disease?
Currently, treatments for sickle cell disease focus primarily on the alleviation of symptoms.
While there have been significant steps forward in recent years, including the development of the Casgevy therapy which utilises genetically engineered bone marrow stem cells from the patients themselves in lieu of a donor transplant, medicines like antibiotics and painkillers remain the most prevalent way of combating sickle cell.
There is only one known cure for sickle cell disease: a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. In these treatments, healthy red blood cells are produced by the donated stem cells, replacing the ones that are affected by sickle cell. [2]
However, difficulty in locating an unrelated donor match, in addition to the risks posed by graft-versus-host disease, hinders the ready availability of transplantation as a treatment option.
The benefits of cord blood banking for sickle cell disease
Within the last decade, sibling cord blood transplants have emerged as a viable alternative to bone marrow transplants as a treatment option for sickle cell disease.
A comprehensive study in 2017 following the success rates of sibling cord blood transplants over a period of 20 years found that of the 28 patients with sickle cell who received cord blood from a sibling, all but one are both alive and free from sickle cell disease. [3]
With a reduced risk of graft-versus-host disease, in addition to a 25% chance of a perfect match and a 50% chance of a partial match, using the stem cells from a sibling’s umbilical cord blood alleviates many of the current obstacles to obtaining a transplant to treat sickle cell disease.
Moreover, because of the way sickle cell is passed down between parents and children, if one child is born with sickle cell disease then there’s a 75% chance that a subsequent child will not have the disease, making a cord blood transplant between siblings possible. [4]
Should I store my baby’s cord blood?
Underlying the breakthroughs in treating sickle cell through a sibling cord blood transplant is one crucial detail: whether or not that sibling has cord blood samples in storage. There’s only one opportunity to save their cord blood: in the minutes after they’re born.
Without cord blood samples in storage, availability to stem cell transplant treatments for sickle cell, and other blood or inherited conditions, becomes more difficult as it’s harder to find a suitable match.
Ensuring that you save cord blood for every child maximises opportunities for treatment, particularly in instances where a sibling transplant could provide a cure for conditions requiring an HLA match, like sickle cell disease.
Additionally, with the emergence of the aforementioned Casgevy therapy and ongoing trials exploring the possibility for autologous stem cell treatments for sickle cell disease, saving your baby’s stem cells means that they have improved access to cutting edge therapies using their own cord blood samples. [5]
Storing cord blood for every child is the only way to ensure that they have improved access to the benefits of cord blood banking.
If you want to learn more about how storing cord blood for your baby could provide protection for their health and the health of their siblings, fill out the form below for a free Welcome Pack.
References
The results of a new study have found that patients who had undergone an organ transplant were able to wean themselves off anti-rejection drugs with the help of stem cells. [1]
What are anti-rejection drugs and why are they taken?
Tolerance is the holy grail of organ transplantation, the name for the body accepting the donated organ without the immune system believing it to be a foreign body and attacking it.
Currently, however, patients who undergo organ transplants are required to take immunosuppressant drugs in order to prevent what’s known as organ ‘rejection’. [2]
These drugs have to be taken for life and come with a range of unfavourable side effects, including increased exposure to infection and cancer, as well as risking damage to the donated organ.
How does the stem cell treatment work?
By transferring stem cells from the donor to the patient receiving the donated organ – in this case, a kidney – researchers in the trial hoped to induce ‘mixed chimerism’, a phenomenon whereby the organ recipient’s immune system becomes a hybrid composed of their own and their donor’s cells. [3]
Once this is achieved, the transplanted organ theoretically remains free from attack as the body no longer considers it to be ‘foreign’.
We covered a similar instance of stem cells being used to reprogramme the immune system in our blog about Aditi Shankar, who successfully underwent pioneering treatment to aid with a donated kidney last year. You can read more about Aditi’s story here.
What did the study find?
What the study found, the results of which were presented at the American Transplant Congress in Philadelphia, was that in 16 out of 19 cases, organ donor recipients who received stem cells from their HLA matched sibling no longer had to continue taking the immunosuppressant drugs after two years.
Additionally, researchers also noted improved quality of life outcomes for those who successfully underwent the treatment. [4]
What could this mean for future organ donor recipients?
Researchers in the trial are hoping that their findings can eventually result in future organ transplant recipients foregoing the need to take anti-rejection drugs. Not only are these drugs harmful but the damage they cause to the donated organ often leads to failure, resulting in a backlog of transplants. [5]
With the new treatment, any new organ transplants should theoretically be able to last a lifetime, expanding the pool of available organs in the process.
More research is needed to discover whether this treatment is viable for all types of organ transplant, beyond kidneys in this case, in addition to identifying whether the treatment is viable in cases where donated organs have been sourced through donors other than siblings.
Either way, this research is a huge step forward in the long held ambition of achieving tolerance for all organ transplant outcomes.
In this treatment researchers took advantage of the good chances of stem cell matches between siblings. The chance of a perfect stem cell match between full siblings is 1 in 4, with a 50% chance of a partial match. [6]
By saving stem cells for your baby you could not only safeguard their health, but also the health of their siblings.
If you want to know more about how saving stem cells could help protect your baby’s health, fill out your details below for a free Welcome Pack.
References
07/07/2024 BlogDiabetesNewsStem Cell News
Researchers in Shanghai have claimed to have achieved the world’s first successful cure for type 2 diabetes using stem cell-derived islet transplantation.
Publishing their findings in the journal Cell Discovery, the team of scientists believe that this new therapy offers hope for the estimated 420 million people living with type 2 diabetes around the world. [1]
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that arises as a result of the body either being unable to produce insulin or being ineffective at using the insulin it produces in order to regulate blood sugar levels. [2]
Those with type 2 diabetes risk developing hyperglycemia, otherwise known as high blood glucose levels, as a result of being unable to metabolise glucose. Hyperglycemia can cause complications over time, including damage to organs.
Current management strategies primarily involve glycemic control through medications including insulin, as well as strict diet management to monitor blood sugar levels, leaving a substantial unmet need for a definitive cure. [3]
How did researchers develop the cure?
Scientists undertook a study centred around a 59-year-old male patient with a 25-year history of type 2 diabetes. Following a kidney transplant in 2017, the patient experienced a decline in pancreatic islet function, necessitating daily multi-dose insulin injections.
To address this challenge, the research team led by Dr. Yin Hao turned to a pioneering stem cell treatment. Utilising the patient’s own endoderm stem cells (EnSCs), they were able to differentiate these stem cells into functional pancreatic islet cells – cells in the pancreas that secrete hormones, including insulin and glucagon, that help regulate blood sugar levels. [4]
Once differentiated, these so-called ‘E-islet cells’ could then be implanted into the patient. [5]
What were the results of the transplant?
In July 2021, the patient underwent the autologous islet cell transplantation. Notably, the patient achieved insulin independence within a mere 11 weeks post-transplantation. Oral medication for diabetes management was gradually reduced and ultimately discontinued a year later.
Follow-up examinations conducted over a prolonged period revealed restored pancreatic function, with the patient no longer requiring exogenous insulin or oral medications.
Additionally, normal kidney function was maintained, suggesting a potential long-term cure for both type 2 diabetes and the underlying complications associated with the initial kidney transplant. [6]
What are the next steps in treating diabetes with stem cells?
This groundbreaking achievement signifies a paradigm shift in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The successful application of stem cell therapy offers a path towards a potential cure, paving the way for further research into the large-scale implementation and long-term efficacy of this novel approach.
While further clinical trials are warranted to validate these findings, this case study undoubtedly sparks hope for a future free from the burden of diabetes.
If you want to learn more about saving stem cells for your baby, download your free Welcome Pack by filling out the form below.
References
[2] Watts, M. (2023, December 14). Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes.co.uk. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/type2-diabetes.html
[3] Chong K, Chang JK-J, Chuang L-M.Recent advances in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus using new drug therapies. Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 2024;40(3):212–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/kjm2.12800220
[4] Wu, J., Li, T., Guo, M. et al. Treating a type 2 diabetic patient with impaired pancreatic islet function by personalized endoderm stem cell-derived islet tissue. Cell Discov 10, 45 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41421-024-00662-3
In a study first published in April’s edition of Advanced Functional Materials, researchers found that stem cells boost natural repair following cardiac arrest.
The most common consequence of cardiac arrest is brain injury. Decreased blood flow and oxygen to the brain can result in damage to specific areas such as the temporal lobe, which is responsible for memories. [1]
According to the British Heart Foundation, there are around 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests in the UK per year, with survival rates of only 1 in 10.
While there are currently steps towards improving these survival rates – mainly public awareness and educational campaigns focused on immediate response [2] – better survival rates potentially means more patients suffering from brain injury, which can range in severity.
What researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the U.S. have found is that neural stem cells can help with repairing post-cardiac arrest brain damage when their carbohydrate structure is manipulated. [3]
In an animal study using rats, scientists applied sugar molecules to the neural stem cells in a process called glycoengineering.
It’s thought that the application of these sugar molecules provide the neural stem cells with a better chance of retention and integration within the harsh microenvironment of the brain.
Researchers examined the efficacy of the ‘sugar-coated’ neural stem cells that had been pretreated with TProp (the name of the modified sugar molecule applied) with naive human neural stem cells.
They found through subsequent testing that the stem cells that had been pretreated with TProp improved brain function substantially, along with reducing anxiety and depression-related behaviours.
The ability for synapses to modify the strength of their connections (otherwise known as synapse plasticity) also improved, with the TProp group also demonstrating a reduction in neuroinflammation in the central nervous system.
Overall, the findings from the University of Maryland are promising as they indicate that these glycoengineered stem cells could help regenerate connections between synapses in the brain that have been affected by cardiac arrest related injury in humans.
The next steps will involve tests on larger animals before hopefully moving to a clinical study.
If you want to know more about how you can save your baby’s powerful stem cells, fill out the form below for your free welcome pack.
References
Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have taken an important step in making lab-grown cartilage a possibility by utilising a new technique involving 3D printing and stem cells. [1]
The process involves a high-resolution 3D printing process to create small, football-shaped spheres that act like porous scaffolds within which differentiated cartilage stem cells can sit.
These spheroid scaffolds can then be molded into various shapes in order to fit like puzzle pieces into seamless tissue structures.
One of the main challenges in attempting to form artificial cartilage using stem cells thus far has been the inability for scientists to leverage much control over the shape of the resulting tissue.
The key advantage of the 3D printed spheroid, cage-like structures, which are around a third of a millimetre in diameter, is that they’ve enabled the researchers in Austria to form combinable, compact building blocks from which to grow cartilage tissue.
Importantly, the team at TU Wien also showed that when combined, neighbouring spheroids actually grow together, with the cells from one spheroid migrating to another, connecting in a closed, continuous structure. [2]
The 3D printed plastic scaffolds provide mechanical stability to the tissue as it continues to grow, up until the point at which they are no longer needed. The spheroids then degrade, leaving behind cartilage tissue shaped in the way desired.
A huge breakthrough for facilitating the regenerative potential promised by stem cells – particularly mesenchymal stem cells, which have the ability to differentiate into a range of specialised cells [3] – this new technique could be used in growing other tissues beyond cartilage into shapes required for repair at the cellular level.
For the time being, however, the researchers’ next aim is to attempt to use their 3D printed spheroids in the formation of tailormade pieces of cartilage tissue that can then be inserted into damaged areas of the body following injury.
If you’re interested in learning more about how saving stem cells for your baby could give them access to future regenerative treatments, download our free welcome pack below.
References
A new study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic has found that stem cell treatment for patients with advanced heart failure offers an improved quality of life.
As many as 100,000 people are admitted to hospital in the UK every year due to heart attacks [1]. Heart attacks can lead to heart failure, where damage to cardiac muscles makes it harder for blood to be pumped around the body.
The first phase of a clinical trial hoping to treat Multiple sclerosis (MS) with stem cells has yielded promising results.
The early-stage trial was conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, along with scientists from the University of Milan Bicocca and La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza hospital in Italy. [1]
22/01/2024 BlogEye ConditionsNewsStem Cell Therapies
Medical regulators in the UK have approved a gene-editing treatment involving bone marrow stem cells designed to cure two blood diseases, including sickle cell disease, in what is a world first.
The therapy, called Casgevy, has been given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to treat sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, two painful blood conditions. [1]
22/01/2024 BlogNewsPregnancy AdviceUses for Cord Blood
November 15th is World Cord Blood Day. This annual event was created to raise awareness of cord blood, what it is and some of the therapeutic benefits it can offer.
If you are curious to find out more, read on.
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