Simpanan Sel Stem Darah Tali Pusat

Jawapan dari AABB......."Simpan Dalam Beg Bukan Vail" !!!!!

Assalamualaikum WBK,

Salam Sejahtera kepada rakan-rakan saya sekelian, ibu-bapa, bakal ibu-bapa, pengunjung dan pembaca blog ini. Kepada pembaca dari beberapa syarikat tertentu, janganlah cetak rompak atikel ini ya!

Kali ini Saya ingin menterjemahkan beberapa jawapan kepada soalan popular (FAQ) yang diterbitkan di laman web Persatuan Bank Darah Amerika (American Association of Blood Banks – AABB www.aabb.org). Ini adalah hanya sebahagian dari soalan-soalan yang dijawab. Saya akan cuba menterjemahkan soalan-soalan yang lain jika masa mengizinkan, Insyallah.

Sebelum bermula, Saya ingin menyatakan perbezaan antara Keahlian AABB dan Akreditasi AABB. Semua yang ingin boleh membayar fi dan menjadi ahli AABB, tetapi tiada sesiapa di Malaysia yang mempunyai Akreditasi AABB. StemLife bukanya ahli dan tidak mempunyai Akreditasi AABB. Saya tidak sesekali pun inginkan adanya salah faham. Saya hanya menterjemahkan FAQ yang ada dalam laman web AABB. Petikan dibawah menyatakan betapa beratnya kesalahan mengunakkan logo AABB tanpa kebenaran.

”Only cord blood banks with a current accreditation have permission to use the AABB logo, and AABB investigates reports of misrepresentation or fraudulent use once the misuse is brought to its attention.”

Apakah itu Sel Darah Tali Pusat?

Darah Tali Pusat (DTP), yang pada satu ketika dianggap sebagai sisa buangan, sekarang diterima sebagai sumber sel stem hematopoetik (sel permulaan hematopoetik). DTP serupa dengan sel stem hematopoetik yang boleh didapati dalam sum-sum tulang dan sistem saluran darah. Sel-sel ini boleh digunakan dalam transplantasi sel stem untuk menambahkuatkan sistem imun pesakit, sepertimana sum-sum tulang dan sel stem dari sistem saluran darah digunakan dalam transplantasi untuk merawat penyakit malignan seperti lukemia dan penyakit bukan malignan seperti kepincangan sistem imun dan anemia aplastik, dan penyakit kongenital seperti anemia sel sikle dan talasemia. DTP mengandungi bermacam jenis sel darah, tetapi, hanya sel stem hematopoetik (sel stem pembina darah) sahaja yang berguna dalam transplantasi. Kegunaan lain untuk sel stem DTP masih dalam fasa penyelidikan. Setiap sumber (samada sum-sum tulang, sistem saluran darah, atau DTP) ada kelebihan dan kekuranganya dalam transplantasi. Pesakit perlu berbincang dengan Pakar sel stem sebelum membuat pilihan tentang sumber sel stem paling sesuai yang sepadan dengan pesakit. Pilihan yang sesuai akan bergantung kepada opsen yang sediada dan keadaan pesakit.


What are umbilical cord blood cells?

Umbilical cord blood (UCB), once regarded as biological waste, has become an accepted source of hematopoietic stem cells/hematopoietic progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs), similar to those found in bone marrow and peripheral blood. These cells can be used to replenish a patient’s immune system by providing stem cells for transplantation, just as bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplants can be used to treat malignant diseases such as leukemia and non-malignant diseases such as immune deficiencies and severe aplastic anemia, and congenital disorders such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. UCB contains many types of blood cells but only the hematopoietic — or blood-making — stem cells in the UCB are currently useful for transplant. Other uses of UCB stem cells are currently undergoing research. Each source of HPCs (bone marrow, peripheral blood or cord blood) has advantages and disadvantages associated with its use in a transplant. Decisions about the most appropriate source of stem cells — which must be matched by tissue type to some degree with the recipient — must be made by each patient in consultation with his or her physician based on available options.

Bagaimana Darah Tali Pusat dikumpulkan?

Sejurus selepas bayi dilahirkan, tali pusat akan dikepit dan dipotong. Jarum akan digunakan untuk menyalurkan darah dari saluran vena tali pusat kedalam beg derma darah. Oleh kerana proses ini dilakukan selepas kelahiran bayi, tiada risiko atau sakit dijangka kepada ibu atau bayi. Pengambilan darah boleh dilakukan samada sebelum atau selepas kelahiran uri. Tekniknya berbeza sedikit sesama doktor pakar. Beg DTP akan dilabel dan dihantar ke makmal untuk diproses, dibekukan dan disimpan. Jumlah darah yang diambil berbeza tetapi seringkali dari 50 hingga 200 ml (lebih kurang separuh sehingga secawan penuh).


How are cord blood cells collected?

After the delivery of a newborn, the umbilical cord is clamped and then cut. A needle is then used to draw the blood from the umbilical cord vein into a collection bag. Since this happens after delivery, there is no pain or risk to mother or infant. The collection may take place either before or after delivery of the placenta, and techniques vary slightly among physicians. The UCB product is labeled and shipped to the processing facility for processing, freezing and storage. The volume collected varies but usually ranges from 50 to 200 ml (about one-half to one cup).

Adakah Darah Tali Pusat patut disimpan dalam Beg atau Vail?

AABB menggalakkan inovasi dan penambahbaikan teknologi dan tidak mengesyorkan mana-mana teknik atau pembekal. Ini termasuk koleksi/pendermaan, pemprosesan dan simpanan DTP. Oleh kerana kebanyakkan DTP disalurkan ke dalam beg atau cara simpanan berlainan sebelum dihantar ke makmal untuk diproses, tiada sistem yang ”Tertutup” sepenuhnya. DTP yang didermakan juga besar kemungkinan tidak sterile (bersih dari kuman). Oleh itu, kebanyakan makmal pemprosesan beroperasi diantara sistem separuh-tertutup atau tertutup secara fungsi (termasuk pada masa pendermaan). Tiada definasi yang diterimapakai secara umum untuk mengambarkan proses yang tertutup sepenuhnya. Operasi pengambilan dan pemprosesan DTP secara teorinya mengambilkira bahawa lebih banyak kali DTP terdedah kepada luaran, lebih tinggilah peluang untuk DTP terdedah kepada kontaminasi secara tidak sengaja.

Perdebatan beg lawan vail agak kontroversi. Kerja-kerja awal dalam pemprosesan DTP dalam makmal penyelidikan termasuk pengunaan vail-krio. Vail kecil yang lebih kurang sais jari halus dewasa adalah tidak begitu mahal. DTP dibahagikan ke dalam beberapa vail yang kemudian diletakkan ke dalam kotak kecil untuk disimpan.

Pengamal-pengamal sistem vail ini berpendapat bahawa jika bidang sains simpanan sel stem dapat dimajukan kelak dimana hanya sedikit DTP sahaja diperlukan, maka keseluruhan simpanan DTP tidak perlu dicairkan. DTP secara umum hanya dapat dicairkan sekali sahaja tanpa kehilangan banyak sel stem hidup. Vail juga memerlukan kurang ruang simpanan oleh itu membolehkan lebih DTP disimpan dalam satu tanki simpanan. Sebaliknya, vail kecil lebih sukar untuk dilabel dengan kesemua maklumat yang diperlukan.

Beg simpanan khas untuk simpanan krio sudah direka. Beg ini lebih mahal dan memerluka ruang yang lebih dari vail. Satu kelebihan penggunaan Beg Krio adalah ia merupakan sistem yang lebih ”Tertutup” dan bukanya ”Terdedah” jadi mengurangkan risiko kontaminasi yang tidak sengaja. Satu lagi kelebihan sistem Beg Krio adalah ia membolehkan DTP yang disimpan dalam Beg disambungkan terus kepada sedikit sampel DTP yang disimpan asing dalam ”Tiub/Saluran Bersambung DTP” (Integral Segment). AABB memerlukan DTP disambungkan terus kepada sedikit sampel DTP yang disimpan dalam ”Integral Segment” supaya ujian lanjutan dapat dilakukan keatas sedikit sampel DTP itu. ”Integral Segment” dapat dibentuk apabila tiub/saluran yang bersambung kepada Beg yang mengandungi unit DTP dikepit supaya terbentuk ”Segment”. Sedikit DTP diasingkan tetapi masih bersambung dengan unit DTP asal. Ini dilakukan supaya ujian lanjutan dan konfirmasi keatas sampel DTP dapat dilakukan jika diperlukan.

Ini adalah penting kerana bank-bank sering menerima beberapa beg DTP sekali gus. Walaupun prosedur telah diadakan untuk menghalang dari berlakunya apa-apa pertukaran beg yang tidak diingini tanpa diketahui, malah persoalan dan keraguan mengenai tuan punya sebenar DTP itu masih wujud.

Dengan adanya ”Tiub Bersambung DTP” (Integral Segment) yang bersambung terus kepada beg DTP, atau sistem yang serupa denganya, maka ini meningkatkan lagi tahap jaminan bahawa sampel DTP yang diuji memang dari sumber DTP yang asal. Ujian perlu dilakukan sebelum DTP digunakkan untuk rawatan transplantasi. AABB memahami bahawa bank-bank akan memerlukan masa dan perbelanjaan kos tinggi untuk bertukar dari sistem Vail kepada Beg, jadi, AABB telah memberi tempoh masa kepada beberapa bank untuk berubah, iaitu sehingga 1 Januari 2007. Bilangan bank yang diberi tempoh masa tambahan ini hanya segelintir dan hanya kepada bank yang telah menunjukkan pelan program pertukaran sistem dari Vail kepada Beg.

Simpanan dalam sistem lain: Dengan adanya perubahan teknologi, sistem simpanan baru mungkin akan direka kelak yang memenuhi kehendak dan tujuan piawaian. Tujuan piawaian adalah untuk memastikan supaya sampel DTP yang perlu diuji memangnya diambil dari Beg DTP yang sama. Sistem-sistem baru ini perlu diselidik dan diuji samada ianya memenuhi tujuan dan keperluan yang ditetapi oleh Unit Program Piawaian Terapi Sel AABB.

Should cord blood be stored in bags or vials?

AABB encourages innovations and improvements in technology and does not endorse any one method or manufacturer over another. This includes encouraging improvements in the collection, processing and storage of UCB products. Since most products are collected into a bag or other container before transfer to a processing facility, no system is completely “closed.” Even the product (UCB) entering the container may not be sterile. Therefore, facilities operate on a spectrum of semi-closed or functionally closed processing (including collection) and there is no uniformly accepted definition or criteria to define such a system. The practice is based on the theoretical deduction that the number of entries or exposures to the environment that a product receives, the higher the chance for accidental contamination.
The bag versus vial storage debate is quite controversial. Early work with cord blood processing in research labs included the use of “cryovials.” These small vials are about the size of an adult pinky and are relatively inexpensive. The UCB product is divided among several vials, which are usually placed into small boxes for storage. Proponents of this storage container assert that if science ever advances to the point where only some of the product is needed, the entire UCB unit will not have to be thawed. Products can generally only be thawed once without losing a significant number of live stem cells. The vials also occupy relatively less storage space and, therefore, permit more products (patients) to be stored in the storage tank. On the other hand, the small vials may be more difficult to label with all of the required information.
Specially designed bags intended for cryostorage have also been developed. These bags cost more and may occupy a larger amount of freezer space than vials. One advantage of using bags is that they render a more “closed” rather than an “open” system, thereby reducing the risk of accidental contamination. Another advantage to the bag system is that it permits the unit to have integral segments of tubing. AABB requires that integral segments be attached to cord blood units for subsequent testing. Integral segments are created when the tubing leading from the storage container is sealed to provide little portions or “segments” of product, which can be used for subsequent or confirmatory testing of the product if needed.
This is important because banks sometimes receive several products at once, and while procedures are in place to prevent mix-ups, questions regarding identity may occur. The availability of attached segments or an equivalent system provides a higher level of assurance that the test sample material can be traced to the original product if needed for confirmatory or additional testing before the product is distributed for transplant. AABB recognizes the investment of resources required to switch from vials to bags and, therefore, has granted variances to a few facilities until Jan. 1, 2007, to give them time to implement the change. These variances were few in number and only granted to those that presented a plan for implementing the change.
Other containers: As technology evolves, other containers or processes may be developed which meet the intent of the Standards. The intent is to ensure that the sample for additional testing is from the product. Such methods would currently require review and approval by the AABB Cellular Therapy Standards Program Unit.

Sekian buat masa ini......Wslm..WBK

Autologous-OWN-Stem Cell Infusion And Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improve Islet Function In Diabetes

A study to determine if patients with type 2 diabetes can benefit from a combination of autologous (patient OWN self-donated) stem cell infusions (ASC) and hyperbaric (above the normal air pressure of ) oxygen treatment (HBO) before and after ASC has found "significant benefits" in terms of "improvements in glycemic control" along with "reduced insulin requirements."

The combination therapy could decrease type 2 diabetes morbidity and mortality, said the authors, who published their study results in a recent issue of Cell Transplantation (Vol. 17 No.12).

"Autologous stem cell therapies are an emerging set of therapies with promising results and low side effects profiles," said corresponding co-author Esteban Estrada, MD, of Stem Cell Argentina.

"In addition, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, used primarily in the treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning, air embolism suffered by divers, and as an enhancement to wound healing, has been shown to increase stem cell mobilization and the release of endothelial progenitor cells via a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism."

The clinical trial evaluated the safety of ASC-HBO combination treatment in 25 patients with type 2 diabetes.

According to the researchers, it is well known that with type 2 diabetes, there is an ongoing inflammation of the pancreas. Their hypothesis suggested that mobilizing stem cells would cause the growth of blood vessels (angiogenesis) and release factors that would result in the local differentiation of progenitor cells with a resulting anti-inflammatory effect. Diabetes, they added, has been shown to impair progenitor cell mobilization, a problem that local stem cell infusion could remedy.

Once more, the effect of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, they hypothesized, would be to increase stem cell mobilization in such a way as "to target more than one crucial reparative step" to counteract the chronic injury that attack the endothelial progenitor cells and the islet cells.

"Overall, our results show that a close follow-up with intensive diabetic management alone could not be the only cause of the positive, progressive and consistent outcomes we obtained in this trial over one year of follow-up," said Dr. Estrada.

"A decade ago, research had explored stem cell transplantation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy as stand alone treatments. This study highlights the potential benefits of using an unusual combination therapy to treat diabetes" said Dr. Cesar V Borlongan, Associate Editor of Cell Transplantation and Professor at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.


References

Estrada, Esteban J.; Valacchi, Fabian; Nicora, Eduardo; Brieva, Sergio; Esteve, Claudio; Echevarria, Laura; Froud, Tatiana; Bernetti, Karina; Cayetano, Shari Messinger; Velazquez, Omaida; Alejandro, Rodolfo; Ricordi, Camillo. Combined Treatment of Intrapancreatic Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cells and Hyperbaric Oxygen in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Cell Transplantation 2008; 17 (12): 1295-1304.

Multiple Route AUTOLOGOUS Bone Marrow Stem Cell Injections Show Promise To Treat Spinal Cord Injury

Just published a few days ago in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (Vol. 17 No.12), researchers from DaVinci Biosciences, Costa Mesa, California, in collaboration with Hospital Luis Vernaza in Ecuador, have determined that injecting a patient's own bone marrow-derived stem cells (own-autologous BMCs) directly into the spinal column using multiple routes can be an effective treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) that returns some quality of life for SCI patients without serious adverse events.

The researchers reported on eight patients with SCI (four acute and four chronic) to whom they administered BMCs directly into the spinal column, spinal canal and intravenously for each patient and followed for two years using MRI imaging to assess morphological changes in the spinal cord.

"Our objective in this study was to demonstrate that multiple route administration of BMCs for SCI is safe and feasible," said corresponding author Dr. Francisco Silva. "To date, we have administered BMCs into 52 patients with SCI and have had no tumor formations, no cases of infection or increased pain, and few instances of minor adverse events. We also found that patient quality of life improved.

According to Dr. Silva, presently there is no cure or effective treatment for spinal cord injury, a disorder affecting millions globally. Tissue loss from the primary injury and the complexity of cell types required for functional recovery lead the list of considerations. Once more, to be considered successful, any treatment should ultimately help to improve patient quality of life and demonstrate functional improvements.

"Autologous stem cell transplantation of BMCs can promote the growth of blood vessels and, therefore, represent an alternative therapy," said Dr. Silva. Following primary trauma to the adult spinal cord there is evidence of hemorrhage and blood flow is attenuated, he explained. The disruption of blood flow leads to spinal cord infarction, the disruption of the blood-spinal cord injury barrier, swelling and the release of molecules influencing spinal cord perfusion and ischemia, a restriction in blood supply.

"BMCs are well known for their ability to grow blood vessels," explained Dr. Silva. "This angiogenesis is necessary for wound healing and establishing a growth permissive environment. We hypothesized that improved blood flow and oxygen supply could contribute to functional improvements for SCI transplanted with autologous BMCs.

In eight patients who received BMC transplants through various routes and followed for two years, the scientists reported several functional improvements, perhaps the most important of which was improved bladder control.

Finally, the researchers noted that one of their cases suffered a gunshot wound and that their study marked the first time a gunshot wound victim had received BMC transplants through multiple routes."It is important to note," concluded Dr. Silva," that all of our patients with acute injuries improved significantly with no signs of deterioration or impediment of presumed spontaneous recovery.

According to Dr. Svitlana Garbuzova-Davis, a spinal cord researcher at the University of South Florida, the study highlights the value of using several different simultaneous routes for the administration of stem cells, as well as the benefit of the cells themselves."While it would be interesting to know the respective contribution of each route of administration, this study does appear to support the need to move to carry out double blind clinical trials of BMCs in SCI, especially if a non-invasive route could be used.


Reference:

1. Geffner, L. F.; Santacruz, P.; Izurieta, M.; Flor, L.; Maldonado, B.; Auad, A. H.; Montenegro, X.; Gonzalez, R.; Silva, F. Administration of Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cells Into Spinal Cord Injury Patients Via Multiple Routes Is Safe and Improves Their Quality of Life: Comprehensive Case Studies. Cell Transplantation, 2008; 17 (12): 1277

STROKE and Your OWN STEM CELLS

"Every five minutes someone in the UK has a stroke and it is vital that we do all we can to help those affected by stroke."

Wise words from a team of wise scientists in the UK that pushed effective stem cell treatment for strokes a significant step forward as they revealed in their work is published in the Journal Biomaterials how they have replaced stroke-damaged brain tissue in rats.

The team of scientists is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and led by Dr Mike Modo of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. The work, carried out at the Institute of Psychiatry and University of Nottingham, shows that by inserting tiny scaffolding with stem cells attached, it is possible to fill a hole left by stroke damage with brand new brain tissue within 7 days. Previous experiments where stem cells have been injected into the void left by stroke damage have had some success in improving outcomes in rats.

The problem is that in the damaged area there is no structural support for the stem cells and so they tend to migrate into the surrounding healthy tissues rather than filling up the hole left by the stroke.

Dr Modo said: "We would expect to see a much better improvement in the outcome after a stroke if we can fully replace the lost brain tissue, and that is what we have been able to do with our technique."

Using individual particles of a biodegradable polymer called PLGA that have been loaded with neural stem cells, the team of scientists have filled stroke cavities with stem cells on a ready-made support structure.

Dr Modo continued: "This works really well because the stem cell-loaded PLGA particles can be injected through a very fine needle and then adopt the precise shape of the cavity. In this process the cells fill the cavity and can make connections with other cells, which helps to establish the tissue. (picture)

"Over a few days we can see cells migrating along the scaffold particles and forming a primitive brain tissue that interacts with the host brain. Gradually the particles biodegrade leaving more gaps and conduits for tissue, fibres and blood vessels to move into."

The research published today uses an MRI scanner to pinpoint precisely the right place to inject the scaffold-cell structure. MRI is also used to monitor the development of the new brain tissue over time.

The next stage of the research will be to include a factor called VEGF with the particles. VEGF will encourage blood vessels to enter the new tissue.
Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive said: "Stroke is a leading cause of disability in industrialised countries. It is reassuring to know that the technology for treating stroke by repairing brain damage is getting ever closer to translation into the clinic.

This crucial groundwork by Dr Modo and his colleagues will surely be a solid foundation of basic research for much better treatments in the future. Joe Korner, Director of Communications at The Stroke Association commented: "This research is another step towards using stem cell therapy in treating and reversing the brain damage caused by stroke. It is exciting because researchers have shown they are able to overcome some of the many challenges in translating the potential of using stem cells into reality."

The potential to reverse the disabling effects of stroke seems to have been proved. However the development of stem cell therapy for stroke survivors is still in the early stages and much more research will be needed before it can be tested in humans or used in practice.

Cord Blood Banking in the Middle East

If there's one building that I never get tired of looking at in KL, it has definitely got to be the Petronas Twin Towers. If the number of tourists in the park just beneath it is any indication, it confirms that I am certainly not the only one. Since the sunshine brings such perfect days and stormy nights, even the movie producers are out in full force, taking full advantage of the predictability of cloudless skies.

These towers were once the tallest in the world (est 1998), but it has now been beaten by the Taipei 101 (2004) and I read that the completion of Dubai's Burj Dubai which is a huge structural icon in the making, will rank number one as of next year if the project finishes on schedule (estimated completion Dec 2009).

I know you must be wondering where I'm going with this but please indulge me a little longer.

As someone who has yet to visit the middle east nations, I can only imagine what their cities and populations are like. Dubai has a population of just over a million people, so I'm wondering what all the space in the Burj will be used for, but I suppose that they are planning to attract migrants to the city and plan to expand the city's population to three times of what it is today in the next one or two decades.

The population in other Arab Emirates is also fairly small. Doha, the capital of Qatar which lies westerly of Dubai across the sparkling Persian Gulf competes with Dubai in terms of infrastructure and is likewise in the process of establishing itself for other activities apart from finance. Doha laid claim to a fantastic sports center built to groom and train athletes for modern Olympics and apparently also has some architecturally tasteful and stylish designer buildings which serve as office and varsities.

Qatar is wealthy due to their oil and gas deposits which provide the financial bedrock for the economy and with a small population of less than a million, the GDP is thus very high.

It is in Doha which Richard Branson and his partner Excalibur (PE fund) have decided to relocate and re-launch the Virgin Cord Blood Bank with the new name of Virgin Health Bank QSTP (where QSTP is an abbreviation for Qatar Science and Technology Park).


WHY DOHA?

According to the press article, the Virgin Team did consider other major cities in the UAE but decided on Doha due to the Qatari commitment from the government and its Queen:

BACKED BY THE GOVERNMENT
"Branson said today that the bank chose Qatar because “the government of Qatar and the queen in particular understood the importance of this and wanted it.” Evans said that the presence of facilities such as the Weill Cornell Medical College campus and the future Sidra Medical & Research Center (now under construction) in Qatar were also part of the country’s draw."

The Qatar Science Center (featured on the right)


HOW MUCH?

At the press conference held on Tuesday, the investment in starting a cord blood bank was announced to require 9 million British Pounds (46 million RM) while stating that 10 million USD had already been spent.

As for the charge for Virgin's services which encompass a private-public model, nothing is confirmed but it is supposed that the Qatari government will initiate the project by footing the bill. Given a birth rate of approx. 16 births per 1000 people, all of Qatar would have a birth rate of 16,000 per year. Not too much to handle if most deliveries are managed by a few hospitals.

The shareholders have declared that all profits from the service will be channeled back into health care charities, and to be fair to the corporates, probably less operational and running costs.


NEW GOALS

"The company’s goal is to create a comprehensive source of stem cells that could be of particular use for treating people of Middle Eastern descent, whose tissue types are often underrepresented in the public tissue banks such as those in the U.S. and elsewhere. “This cord blood bank could end up being bigger than the U.K.’s bank quite quickly,” Branson noted at a press conference today marking the company’s inaugural board meeting in Qatar."

I wrote about Virgin's plan previously and if you need a helpful reminder of what it was, click here.


Cultural Mind-Shift

One of the acknowledged challenges of the service would be to convince the Qataris to participate and engage the cord blood service. I was very impressed to know that the Qatari Islamic religious leaders are forward thinking and have already issued a fatwa (muslim sharia law) approving the collection of cord blood and encouraging its use. Dr. Yousuf Qaradawi a prominent Islamic scholar has endorsed its use.

Here in Malaysia, it would be great if the Islamic leaders would take up the issue and do the same in responding to the concept of cord blood banking.

We're being SPAMMED by StemTech

I'm not sure how we've managed to make it onto StemTech's spambot list of blogsites, but we've just been patiently deleting them as they come in.

Today, I changed my mind and instead of just going ahead to hit delete, I've decided to dedicate an entire post entry to them due to the fact that they have been actively making their rounds in Malaysia.

One bottle of algae based supplements sells for RM 200+ per bottle (I'm told by those who have bought it) and is supposed to raise your own body's endogenous stem cells by an amount significant enough to increase one's sense of well-being.

My colleague Prof. Aw - who by the way is a recent convert to supplementation- was contacted by one of the StemTech agents/ distributors before. He asked them to send him journal papers (which they claimed they had) and on a second encounter, asked them to do a proof of concept trial by checking on the amount of stem cells raised after taking the supplements for a month.

NO REPLY was forthcoming.

I was even more surprised when I discovered that the french neurologist scientist who is the founder of the organization was invited to present at one of the major hospital's inaugural lecture series here. Due to the heavy downpour, none of us were able to attend but we were most curious as to whether they had received some sort of approval from our government, or whether the major hospital chain was endorsing their product.

I've asked some of the people who are taking this supplement to subject themselves to a simple trial which we'll conduct to see if what they've claimed is true. If I'm able to convince them, I'll be sharing the results with you.

If you're from StemTech and you're reading this, you might like to sponsor the trial if the confidence you have in your product is high.

If not, please stop misleading the public and don't use the term stem cells - call it what it probably is- a vitamin supplement.

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Note to StemTech: Please stop spamming us.

Menstrual Stem Cell Banking by LifeCell India

Note to Indian Women: If you're having your period this week, you're probably an immediate target for LifeCell India.

One of the latest news articles to come out of Chennai this week is LifeCell India's announcement that they will be offering menstrual blood cell banking at their facility, adding to the cord blood business.

Personally, I think that most asian women would find this quite disgusting (and disturbing!) given that there are far more hygenic sources. What do you think?

The new service which commences on the 8th of March (Sunday) and apparently designated "Women's day" will be the launch, though I wonder how exactly one would launch a service like this.

LifeCell India signed on to license the technology from Cryo-cell which sent letters to all cord blood stem cell banks around the world (or at least they were courteous to send one my way) inviting any interested parties to license the technology which they were probably going to charge six to seven figures for.

Ironically, with the difficulties of obtaining parents to bank cord blood stem cells, LifeCell India seems unperturbed by the fact that menstrual cells are not even a proven source of stem cells and that culturally, there would be no objections.

"The limited availability of bone marrow led to the discovery of cord blood stem cells. Now it is proved that the success rate of menstrual blood stem cells is about 100 times higher than the 0.2 to 0.3% of stem cells derived from human bone marrow," said Mayur Abhaya, executive director, Lifecell International.

I'm a little skeptical about these statements, though to be fair I haven't read any scientific literature describing menstrual blood contents. But why would the body waste precious stem cells in menstrual blood? One can understand baby's cord blood, as that is blood that circulates through the placenta and the baby's developing blood system, but cells that are meant to be shed are probably already hormonally directed down a self-destruct pathway.

"These stem cells are unique because they multiply rapidly and can differentiate into many other types of cells such as neural, cardiac, bone, fat, cartilage etc," said Dr Ajit Kumar, chief scientific officer, LifeCell International. They can be used to treat everything from heart disease to diabetes to neurological disorders.

Assuming that stem cells can truly treat everything, they would still have to prove that menstrual stem cells can be manipulated to the same extent.

LifeCell will introduce special collection kits for women who wish to bank their stem cells. The kit has a silicon cup that can collect up to 30 ml of menstrual blood. "It is like a sanitary napkin or tampon, and can last up to eight hours," explained Abhaya.

Kind of messy isn't it?

If you'd like to know what questions to ask and what kind of assurances you're getting for your money, you might want to check out this posting that we reviewed a while ago.

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Singapore advertises Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking (Part 2)

A Cordlife ad was timed right after the appearance of the Singapore Cord Blood Bank's news article - and that wasn't a coincidence.



In fact this latest ad was a masterful stroke of PR execution, citing rates of stem cell usage from the SCBB's own article and adding on the other applications worldwide. It highlights what families ought to store their own babies stem cells for their own use and advocates that private cord blood banking ensures 100% accessibility to your own banked cells.


If you can't see the facts and figures in the picture above here's the wording on the left:

Incidence rate of stem cell treatable diseases:

6 people are diagnosed with blood related diseases in Singapore every day
2 of the top 10 cancers afflicting Singaporeans are Lymphoma and Leukemia
1 in 500 babies are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy
2 children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in Singapore every month
80 diseases are now treatable using cord blood stem cells and possibly more in the future.

Chances of using stem cells:

1 in 217 chance that a person may need cord blood stem cells for treatment in their lifetime
80 cord blood units were released for transplants and therapeutic applications by Cordlife.

Higher chance of finding a match within the patient's family:

70% of cord blood transplants by Cord Blood Registry were from siblings. 30% was for self use.
75% chance of a sibling match
25% chance of a 100% match between siblings. A perfect match is required for bone marrow transplants but not in cord blood transplants.
$26,000 is the minimum cost of buying back a donated cord blood unit if it is still in storage.

Availability of stem cells:
50% of all donations to a public cord blood bank are normally discarded for various reasons
100% - your accessibility to your privately stored cord blood stem cells.



All true of course, and I've always wondered this: Singapore's birth rate is at thirty to forty thousand per year and it's conceivable that there may be a time when every Singaporean has his or her cord blood stem cells banked in the future. Given Singapore's small population, its probably the best place imagining that this could happen, a very accessible and heterogenous database which could be leveraged for treatment and if consented, research for autologous regenerative purposes.


Now that would be really cool.


** Unfortunately the online version of this article isn't the full version that was published in print.


Malaysian Medical Advertising Regulations prohibits any form of advertising using terms ranging from "treatment" to "Thalassemia" so it is virtually impossible for us to advertise as our neighbors did (all brochures and the stem cell organization are required to be separately licensed by the Ministry of Health, so make sure the stem cell bank you're talking to has all the documented approvals and are operating within legal guidelines).

However, since all of it was factual and cited from peer-reviewed journals and both local and international news articles, its good to share these statistics with our patient base here too.


More information on StemLife's stem cell banking services can be found at www.StemLife.com

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Cord Blood Stem Cells to treat Breast Cancer?

In a groundbreaking study (click on title for abstract), just published and not yet picked up by the media, researchers from the Departments of Anatomy and Physiology and Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology at the College of Veterinary Medicine in Kansas State University in Kansas, reported in the February edition of the journal "Cancer Research" that "Rat Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Completely Abolish Rat Mammary Carcinomas with No Evidence of Metastasis or Recurrence 100 Days Post-Tumor Cell Inoculation."

What they did was that they transplanted Fisher 344 rat-derived mammary adenocarcinoma cells (Mat B III-breast cancer) orthotopically (meaning into the breast of the female rats) into syngeneic (related) F344 rats with an intact immune system. Then they injected rat umbilical cord matrix stem (rUCMS) cells derived from Wharton's jelly, intratumoral (i.t. meaning into the tumor) or i.v. (into the veins of the animals) 4 days later.

Then they compared the tumor attenuation effect (meaning how the tumor was suppressed-fought / extinguished) at day 14 after the injection in the tumor or in the veins in cord blood stem cell-transplanted rats compared with sham-transplanted rats (meaning animals that received an injection but no stem cells). What they saw was amazing!

Unmodified rUCMS cord blood stem cell-transplanted rats showed complete regression of tumors to undetectable levels by 34 to 38 days with no evidence of metastasis or recurrence 100 days post-tumor cell inoculation (injection in the tumor). They concluded that their findings suggest that "unmodified human UCMS cells (cord blood stem cells from the Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord) could be used for targeted cytotherapy for breast cancer".

Well, this is REALLY something to look out for, isn't it?! [Cancer Res 2009; 69(5): 1815-20]

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