Ensuring the collection of large quantities of cord blood during placental delivery is always a challenge during the placental delivery process. The usual reasons why cord blood is not sufficiently collected vary from quick placental separation, thin cords, small veins, short cords or collapse/clotting in the veins after the cord has been cut. Contamination is also addressed by adequate cleaning of the cord before needle insertion (StemLife's contamination rates are <1%).
The usual process of cord blood collection involves dexterity of the doctor to insert the needle into the vein correctly, clamp and cut nearer the baby so that the umbilical cord is long and patience to allow the blood to fill the bag until the cord is "dry". Currently, StemLife averages a collection of 80-150 mls of cord blood which usually yields enough stem cells to treat a 40-60 Kg person. Our highest collection volume was 300 mls, a record in our book and probably many others as well!
I read with interest about a start-up company that has developed a prototype device to enhance the volume of cord blood that can be collected. The system does away with needles, but revolves around a clamp made of plastic and rubber that clips onto the cord. There is some sort of sealing mechanism connected to a sterilization chamber. The blood flows from the cord into the chamber and can be sucked out using a syringe. The syringe when full, is emptied and re-filled.
The CEO explains that this technique has the advantage of not requiring a needle, no bottleneck to slow flow and sterile. Their prototype tests indicate that they could collect three times the amount of cord blood in the same timeframe, whilst being easy to use.
Nothing comes cheap however and the company indicates that the retail price would be about USD 100 when it comes to market, which is a lot for a disposable item.
It is a marvellous idea though, and my questions to the CEO would be these:
1. Does it work on all types of umbilical cords?
- this method removes the doctor's judgement factor
2. What does one do if the vein collapses?
-do we have to cut the cord and use a new clip?
3. How is the blood prevented from clotting whilst in the syringe?
-pre-loading the anti-coagulant requires preparation, more manipulation and introduces a possibility of contamination or may be missed altogether?!
Our current StemLife's bag collection system avoids anti-coagulant loading and does not require extra manipulation to syringe and dispense into another container. I'd be interested to evaluate the system and also to find out if it can be modified to fit a bag instead.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Friday, February 24, 2006
Autologous Stem Cell Transplants benefit Patients with SLE (Lupus)
"Patients with SLE whose immunosuppressive treatments fail to achieve a good response might have another option with autologous non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT)."
Research Professors from Northwestern University presented results of their study on 50 patients (with serious SLE symptoms) who underwent stem cell transplantation with their own mobilized peripheral blood stem cells at the 2006 Blood and Marrow Transplantation Tandem Meetings (ASBMT). During the study, none of the 48 patients showed any treatment related mortality and disease free survival post transplant was 50%. As a testament to its effectiveness in reducing symptoms, patients who required oxygen before the therapy did not require it after the transplant.
The interesting part is, the treatment strategy resets the immune system in a safe manner where not all the existing stem cells of the patient is removed. This means that the transplantation of autologous (patient's own) stem cells results in a shorter period of neutropenia (lack of your body's defence cells) and thus the patient would not be as susceptible to infection, leading to a faster recovery.
Thus by storing their own stem cells earlier in their lifetime, a stem cell transplant procedure could buy them more time or turn back the clock even further. With this in mind, perhaps patients with SLE may wish to bank their stem cells early before any symptoms show up.
Research Professors from Northwestern University presented results of their study on 50 patients (with serious SLE symptoms) who underwent stem cell transplantation with their own mobilized peripheral blood stem cells at the 2006 Blood and Marrow Transplantation Tandem Meetings (ASBMT). During the study, none of the 48 patients showed any treatment related mortality and disease free survival post transplant was 50%. As a testament to its effectiveness in reducing symptoms, patients who required oxygen before the therapy did not require it after the transplant.
The interesting part is, the treatment strategy resets the immune system in a safe manner where not all the existing stem cells of the patient is removed. This means that the transplantation of autologous (patient's own) stem cells results in a shorter period of neutropenia (lack of your body's defence cells) and thus the patient would not be as susceptible to infection, leading to a faster recovery.
Thus by storing their own stem cells earlier in their lifetime, a stem cell transplant procedure could buy them more time or turn back the clock even further. With this in mind, perhaps patients with SLE may wish to bank their stem cells early before any symptoms show up.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Amazing Educational Stem Cell Transplant Video
This video describing how a stem cell transplant works is rather nice. Its produced by the Cancer Treatment Centres of America (Cancercentre.com) for patients as a quick educational guide to the entiren process. I liked the graphics and the narrative, clear and concise.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Stem Cells: A closer look at paralysis and a potential treatment option
This was an interesting (and very personal) article 'Adult Stem Cell "Failure"- A closer look' comes from the viewpoint of a paralyzed journalist who advocates stem cell research and therapy. Essentially, this article relates to the right to treatment and support of medical progress through non-ethical sources of stem cells.
The photo of Hwang Woo Suk is actually not relevant to the article but highlights the current controversy that's happening in Korea over the use of stem cells. A female patient Hwang Mi-Sun who was paralyzed in an accident years ago underwent two umbilical cord blood stem cell injections and regained sensation in her lower abdomen and legs for a short period of time. However, it has been reported that she has relapsed and now experiences pain and no longer has the sensation or movement she had before. Was it right to offer her this experimental treatment? Or would she have been better off without it?
Critics have proposed that experimental trials such as these should be tightly regulated or perhaps disallowed altogether, even if they do not involve the more controversial embryonic stem cells. But, this may have also been a case of a non-compliant patient who did not seek the correct follow up treatments for her infection which escalated and may have contributed to her return to paralysis.
It would be a pity if patients -who were willing to undergo an experimental therapy- were to be denied by those who do not understand what they would sacrifice for any albeit small improvement of their condition. No doubt much more needs to be known to make stem cell therapy succesful but this understanding will only be derived with the help and support of patients-in-need and motivate this new science forward.
As promised in my previous posting, have a read and watch the video if you can, about Michelle Farrar's treatment of stem cells for her paralysis. The article does not state how long she is expected to experience sensation for nor what extent of recovery, but it sounds like she is savouring every second of it.
The author chose a strong and very poignant quote about the traditional medical community, the drug and health insurance industries, basic research industry and the hospital industry, and bureaucracy who have a reason to withhold support for stem cell therapy:
"How nice it would be," says Carson, regarding those who wish to keep the medical status quo, "if stem cell progress would just go away. Then business could continue as usual. Everyone but the victims would be happy."
A visit to hospital wards will easily show how much more support of stem cell regenerative technology is needed, preferably with plenty of success, before we end up there ourselves.
The photo of Hwang Woo Suk is actually not relevant to the article but highlights the current controversy that's happening in Korea over the use of stem cells. A female patient Hwang Mi-Sun who was paralyzed in an accident years ago underwent two umbilical cord blood stem cell injections and regained sensation in her lower abdomen and legs for a short period of time. However, it has been reported that she has relapsed and now experiences pain and no longer has the sensation or movement she had before. Was it right to offer her this experimental treatment? Or would she have been better off without it?
Critics have proposed that experimental trials such as these should be tightly regulated or perhaps disallowed altogether, even if they do not involve the more controversial embryonic stem cells. But, this may have also been a case of a non-compliant patient who did not seek the correct follow up treatments for her infection which escalated and may have contributed to her return to paralysis.
It would be a pity if patients -who were willing to undergo an experimental therapy- were to be denied by those who do not understand what they would sacrifice for any albeit small improvement of their condition. No doubt much more needs to be known to make stem cell therapy succesful but this understanding will only be derived with the help and support of patients-in-need and motivate this new science forward.
As promised in my previous posting, have a read and watch the video if you can, about Michelle Farrar's treatment of stem cells for her paralysis. The article does not state how long she is expected to experience sensation for nor what extent of recovery, but it sounds like she is savouring every second of it.
The author chose a strong and very poignant quote about the traditional medical community, the drug and health insurance industries, basic research industry and the hospital industry, and bureaucracy who have a reason to withhold support for stem cell therapy:
"How nice it would be," says Carson, regarding those who wish to keep the medical status quo, "if stem cell progress would just go away. Then business could continue as usual. Everyone but the victims would be happy."
A visit to hospital wards will easily show how much more support of stem cell regenerative technology is needed, preferably with plenty of success, before we end up there ourselves.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Cord Blood Stem Cells for Nerve Regeneration
Scientists at the University of Minnesota Medical School report that they have discovered a new population of stem cells found in umbilical cord blood that might lead to regenerating nerve tissue after a stroke.
"We are excited by this discovery because it provides additional insight into how stem cells can restore function in the brain after injury," said Walter Low, senior investigator of the study and professor of neurosurgery.
Stem cells obtained from cord blood have previously shown the capacity to differentiate into nerve cells, and it is also thought to be cytokine driven. But it would be interesting to see if this population of stem cells may require localization in the brain or CSF to activate this branch, or perhaps if its always there at a low level.
Cord blood stem cells have already been used in some patients with paralysis with quite amazing responses were recorded. Could it be that these stem cells when placed in the spine were able to assist in the regeneration of the nervous tissue? I think this is being studied intensely and look forward to the results. Positive results will bring a new therapeutic facet to banking one's umbilical cord blood stem cells.
I saw the articles on the spinal injury patients and will post links in my next entry. :)
See article at: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060213-113731-9178r
"We are excited by this discovery because it provides additional insight into how stem cells can restore function in the brain after injury," said Walter Low, senior investigator of the study and professor of neurosurgery.
Stem cells obtained from cord blood have previously shown the capacity to differentiate into nerve cells, and it is also thought to be cytokine driven. But it would be interesting to see if this population of stem cells may require localization in the brain or CSF to activate this branch, or perhaps if its always there at a low level.
Cord blood stem cells have already been used in some patients with paralysis with quite amazing responses were recorded. Could it be that these stem cells when placed in the spine were able to assist in the regeneration of the nervous tissue? I think this is being studied intensely and look forward to the results. Positive results will bring a new therapeutic facet to banking one's umbilical cord blood stem cells.
I saw the articles on the spinal injury patients and will post links in my next entry. :)
See article at: http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060213-113731-9178r
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Stem Cells for cartilage defects
As reported in the Yorkshire Post, bioengineers from the University of Leeds have developed a technique which can put arthritic patients back on their feet within 3 weeks and cut surgery times to only 10 mins (usual surgery 2 hours). By drilling into the bone beneath the cartilage in the problem joint (known as sub-chondral drilling), bleeding from the bone marrow releases and stimulating stem cells to grow tissue within the damaged site.
It's already understood that stem cells can differentiate to form bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, tendon and ligaments. One of the challenges in any stem cell therapy is where and from whom the cells are obtained and how much to administer. By drilling the holes, the doctors would be using patient's own stem cells and allowing the stem cells to access the damaged site directly. Its exciting that now they have found a way to stimulate the formation of cartilage in vivo.
To make the cells stick and grow, the surgeons implant a pad into the tissue. According to the report, it is thought that the this approach of using the body's own cells to heal, would be cheaper than existing methods of treatment. I think its interesting that the Arthritis research campaign was awarded a significant amount of money to do the research and that Smith and Nephew are already involved in evaluating how to commercialize this procedure for clinical use in the next four years.
This article is interesting because it validates my thoughts that autologous (one's own) stem cells are still the way to go in terms of cost effectiveness and importantly, that no immunosuppression is required. The pad is a nice idea because apart from providing the cells an anchor and a bed, it can also contain other medications that may require local administration. This would really open up the market for earlier treatment as most patients would consider current total knee replacements (product currently offered by Smith & Nephew) as a last resort. Ten minutes would also be a huge time-saving bonus to orthopaedic surgeons and probably helps keep the costs of treatment down as well. If this can be developed as an accepted clinical procedure, I see no reason why most- if not all- hospitals in Malaysia with an orthopaedic surgeon would not be able to offer it to their patients.
see the article at:
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1340155
It's already understood that stem cells can differentiate to form bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, tendon and ligaments. One of the challenges in any stem cell therapy is where and from whom the cells are obtained and how much to administer. By drilling the holes, the doctors would be using patient's own stem cells and allowing the stem cells to access the damaged site directly. Its exciting that now they have found a way to stimulate the formation of cartilage in vivo.
To make the cells stick and grow, the surgeons implant a pad into the tissue. According to the report, it is thought that the this approach of using the body's own cells to heal, would be cheaper than existing methods of treatment. I think its interesting that the Arthritis research campaign was awarded a significant amount of money to do the research and that Smith and Nephew are already involved in evaluating how to commercialize this procedure for clinical use in the next four years.
This article is interesting because it validates my thoughts that autologous (one's own) stem cells are still the way to go in terms of cost effectiveness and importantly, that no immunosuppression is required. The pad is a nice idea because apart from providing the cells an anchor and a bed, it can also contain other medications that may require local administration. This would really open up the market for earlier treatment as most patients would consider current total knee replacements (product currently offered by Smith & Nephew) as a last resort. Ten minutes would also be a huge time-saving bonus to orthopaedic surgeons and probably helps keep the costs of treatment down as well. If this can be developed as an accepted clinical procedure, I see no reason why most- if not all- hospitals in Malaysia with an orthopaedic surgeon would not be able to offer it to their patients.
see the article at:
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1340155
Sunday, February 05, 2006
First Entry: StemLife - Malaysia's Premier Stem Cell Bank & Therapeutics Company
Hi this is Sharon, MD at StemLife Sdn Bhd. We started StemLife four-plus years ago with just four people and a handful of clients who believed in us and what we set out to achieve. Now, we've banked more than 5000 baby's umbilical cord blood stem cell units and have since increased our staff strength to more than 80 in Malaysia as well as a joint venture in Thailand (Thai StemLife).
We've been able to grow because of transparent pricing, effective service, intentsive training and the will to ensure that we do the very best we can for every client who enquires about our programs. We remain very committed to updating doctors and medical professionals on stem cell therapies and the reasons of why stem cell banking has a role to play in the evolution of patient treatment.
In 2005, we initiated our adult peripheral stem cell banking unit for people who would like to bank their own cells now for their own future use. We also work in close collaboration with specialist doctors in well established facilities and hospitals nationwide to provide medical therapies for patients seeking immediate treatment.
In addition, we have also successfully released cord blood stem cell units to patients who have banked with us for their siblings stem cell transplants for cancer and blood disorders.
This is my first blog entry and I look forward to communicating with you about StemLife's progress and updates on the uses of stem cells.
We've been able to grow because of transparent pricing, effective service, intentsive training and the will to ensure that we do the very best we can for every client who enquires about our programs. We remain very committed to updating doctors and medical professionals on stem cell therapies and the reasons of why stem cell banking has a role to play in the evolution of patient treatment.
In 2005, we initiated our adult peripheral stem cell banking unit for people who would like to bank their own cells now for their own future use. We also work in close collaboration with specialist doctors in well established facilities and hospitals nationwide to provide medical therapies for patients seeking immediate treatment.
In addition, we have also successfully released cord blood stem cell units to patients who have banked with us for their siblings stem cell transplants for cancer and blood disorders.
This is my first blog entry and I look forward to communicating with you about StemLife's progress and updates on the uses of stem cells.
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