Cord Blood – VJRegenMed

An overview of mouse models to study cell therapies for cancer

Simon Ng — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 13:19:59 +0000

Juliane Mietz, University Of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, provides an overview of mouse models currently in use for the pre-clinical study of immunotherapies, including cell line-derived xenografts (CDX) and patient-derived xenografts (PDX). CDX models are derived from established and easily accessible cell lines, which is beneficial for monitoring tumor growth and assessing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell efficacy. PDX models consist of tissue from the patient’s tumor and will retain the pathophysiology of the patient. However the aforementioned models are modelled in immunocompromised mice and humanized mice models consisting of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) derived from fetal liver tissue or cord blood represent an alternative. This interview took place at the International Conference on Lymphocyte Engineering (ICLE) 2022.

The benefits of umbilical cord-derived MSCs as a cell source

admin_vjr_user — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:11:11 +0000

Mathias Svahn, PhD, MScEng, NextCell Pharma AB, Huddinge, Sweden, gives an overview of the use and benefits of umbilical cord (UC)-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) as a cell source for cell-based therapeutics. Compared to bone marrow-derived MSCs, which have been under investigation in a range of autoimmune conditions and graft-versus-host disease for a number of years, UC-MSCs have more recently started being utilized and investigated. UC-MSCs constitute a young, potent and fast-growing source of cells that can be obtained from discarded tissue, thus reducing ethical implications. This interview took place at the Advanced Therapies Congress & Expo 2021.

Cord blood infusion in children with autism spectrum disorder

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:50:03 +0000

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, describes ongoing research exploring the benefit of umbilical cord blood (UCB) infusion in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An initial open-label Phase I safety study (NCT02176317) in 25 children with ASD revealed that a single infusion of autologous UCB was well tolerated. The double-blind Phase II Duke ACT trial (NCT02847182), which aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a single UCB infusion compared to placebo in 180 children with ASD, failed to meet it’s primary endpoint of improvement in the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-3 (VABS-3) measure of socialization, although improvements were seen in certain patient subsets across various outcome measures. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).

Cord tissue-derived MSCs versus cord blood for cell therapy

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:50:02 +0000

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, compares cord blood to cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) as a source for cell therapies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Cord blood can only be delivered in one dose due to a limited amount of cells available, whereas the abundance of cord tissue-derived MSCs in the umbilical cord allow for ongoing, repeated dosing. In terms of mechanisms of action, cord blood-derived therapies function through monocytes, which have the capability to stimulate remyelination in the damaged brain, whereas MSCs appear to function through the modulation of inflammation. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).

Challenges in developing cord blood- and cord tissue-based therapies

admin_vjr_user — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:50:01 +0000

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, discusses ongoing issues related to the development of cord blood- or cord tissue-based cell therapies. Regulatory approval and commercialization remain a challenge for autologous cord blood-based therapies due to a lack of standardization in manufacturing techniques amongst family cord blood banks. The use of allogeneic cord blood could, however, enhance patient access to therapies and is more compliant with manufacturing regulations. In addition, the high costs associated with product development and conducting clinical trials, as well as difficulties in obtaining funding, are major challenges facing this area. Dr Kurtzberg also highlights challenges associated with studying products in children, where typical pediatric development can be misconstrued as therapeutic effect. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).

Umbilical cord blood infusions in children with cerebral palsy

admin_vjr_user — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 07:56:43 +0000

Joanne Kurtzberg, MD, Duke University, Durham, NC, describes ongoing research evaluating the potential of umbilical cord blood infusion in pediatric patients with cerebral palsy. A randomized Phase II trial (NCT01147653) indicated that the infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood (UCB) at a dose of 25 million cells per kilogram or higher resulted in improvement in gross motor function. In addition, the open-label Phase II ACCeNT-CP trial (NCT03473301), which compared a single high dose of allogeneic UCB with repeated infusions of cord tissue mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), demonstrated that UCB infusion improved motor function and has prompted the initiation of a Phase III trial. This interview took place at the 2021 World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS).