Here in New Zealand you can help raise awareness by telling expectant friends and family members about cord blood banking. For everyone who then registers with CordBank – you will both get 1 year’s free storage. For more information click here

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Led by Professor Bob Williamson at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, the study is using umbilical cord blood to treat Cystic Fibrosis an inherited disease in which a thick mucus clogs the lungs, making it very hard to breathe and digest food.

To help support this ground breaking study, CordBank has agreed to collect, process and store cord blood from families, who already have one child with CF, for free.

The latest families to benefit from this support are the Legge family from Queenstown, the Conlands from Wellington and the Hasselmans from Napier.

Bob Williamson, Professor of Medical Genetics at the University of Melbourne, has a research group trying to take cord blood stem cells and push them down the path towards lung cells.  “So far, we have been able to get cells from cord blood to make some lung proteins, such as surfactant, but the CF protein still seems to be present only at low levels.  We have, however, been able to correct gene defects in cord blood stem cells, and groups are trying to put a healthy copy of the CF gene into stem cells and get it to function normally.” 

Professor Williamson also noted that other groups, including one in Perth, Australia, have used similar cells from the placenta to repair lung injury.  “While this research is aimed at helping premature infants, rather than those with CF, it is valuable to know that stem cell science is advancing quickly towards effective treatments of many diseases.”

Professor Williamson noted that this cord blood could be very valuable in future, if a way can be found to get the stem cells to express the CF gene.  “This is a real challenge”, he said, “but there is now a great deal of stem cell science throughout the world aimed at getting this result, and progress is occurring rapidly.”

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Lead researcher, associated professor Yuben Moodley from the University of Western Australia, said the investigation could provide hope for patients suffering from lung damage.

In Australia, one in four are affected by serious lung conditions. Globally, lung diseases cause many deaths and disabilities, with most lung conditions responding poorly to traditional medicines. “Cellular therapies, although in the early stages of development, may form a vital part of future life-saving treatments.” Moodley said.  To read the full news story click here

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If your child has been diagnosed with any one of the following conditions and you have their cord blood stored at CordBank, we’d like to hear from you:

• Any type of brain injury from a fall or accident
• Cerebral Palsy
• Stroke
• Brain injury resulting from lack of oxygen prior to or during birth (anoxia).

Please email us at info@cordbank.co.nz including the following details:

• Your child’s CK number and the name under which they are registered
• Date of birth
• Type of injury
• Date injury was incurred 

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While previous research on spinal cord injury has typically used rats, this study used dogs which have a spinal cord structure more similar to humans. Within the test group, those dogs that received cellular transplants exhibited gradual improvement in hind limb locomotion two to three weeks after the transplant and also demonstrated reduced cyst and injury size.

The study was a collaborative effort between a team of doctors from the Department of Veterinary Science and Veterinary Anatomy at Konkuk University in Seoul Korea.

Dr Han, President and founder of Histostem, said the research demonstrated a new less invasive method of transplanting cord blood stem cells which avoids surgical exposure and allows the cells to be more precisely transplanted into the spinal cord.

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Umbilical cord tissue cells can be expanded to greater number, are remarkably stable and might not trigger strong immune responses, said senior investigator Bridget M. Deasy, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pitt School of Medicine.

The cord could become an accessible source of a multitude of stem cells that overcomes many of the restrictions, such as limited quantity as well as donor age and donor sex issues, that come with other adult stem cell populations.

Dr. Deasy and her team analyzed sections of two-foot-long human umbilical cords that were donated for research, looking for cells in that displayed the characteristic protein markers found in stem cells derived from other sources. The researchers then sought to find the best way to isolate the stem cells from the cords, and tested them in the lab to confirm their ability to produce specialized cells, such as bone and cartilage, while retaining their invaluable ability to renew themselves.

To build on these findings, the team will test the umbilical cord stem cells in animal models of cartilage and bone repair, as well as muscle regeneration.

Co-authors of the paper include lead investigator Rebecca C. Schugar, of Pitt’s Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the Center for Cardiovascular Research, Washington University School of Medicine; Steven M. Chirieleison, Yuko Askew, M.D., Ph.D., Jordan J. Nance, and Joshua M. Evron, all of the Pitt Stem Cell Research Center; Kristin E. Wescoe, Benjamin T. Schmidt, both of Pitt’s Department of Bioengineering; and Bruno Peault, Ph.D., of the University of California-Los Angeles and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a joint effort of Pitt and UPMC.

The research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

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This global study evaluated the more than 50,000 stem cell transplants performed in a specific calendar year (2006) and found that in 57% of the cases,  the transplants used an autologous, or a patient’s own, source of stem cells for certain cancers and blood disorders. 

This is the first time that the current state of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been documented on a global level, say the authors, led by Alois Gratwohl, MD, from the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. 

This information “has become a necessity for correct patient counseling and healthcare planning,” they add.

Hematopoietic stem cells collected from a newborn’s cord blood have been used successfully for more than 20 years in transplant medicine.  

They are recognized as having distinct advantages compared to other sources of stem cells, because they are younger, more adaptable and have limited exposure to viruses and other environmental factors that can alter cell function.

The authors also note that a matched sibling (within the family) might represent the most efficient way of therapy for a patient with a genetic disorder such as aplastic anemia, thalassemia or severe combined immunodeficiency.

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The O’Neill family from Cambridge are the first New Zealanders to take part in a ground breaking medical study into cystic fibrosis, thanks to the generosity of CordBank.

The O’Neills decided to bank the cord blood of their second son, Lenny, in the hope that it may one day be able to help treat his five year old brother, Liam, who suffers from the disease. As a result, they stand to benefit from the study which aims to prove that umbilical cord blood can successfully treat cystic fibrosis.

Monique and Sean O’Neill said, “We were approached by The Cystic Fibrosis Association to see if we would be interested in taking part in the medical study which is supported by CordBank, who are providing complimentary cord blood banking to New Zealand families who have a cystic fibrosis child and want to bank a sibling’s cord blood”.

“We are so relieved that we made the decision to bank Lenny’s cord blood and are thankful to CordBank for all their help. We are very excited about the search for a cure using cord blood, and want to do everything we can to help our son Liam and other cystic fibrosis kids benefit in the future”.

 “Liam has a daily struggle with cystic fibrosis, and anything that can be done to help him and other young people with cystic fibrosis is an amazing thing as far as we are concerned.” 

The Cystic Fibrosis Association approached CordBank to see if the company would be interested in providing free cord blood collection for up to 3 families who had a cystic fibrosis child and wanted to bank a sibling’s cord blood. Once Professor Bob Williamson’s team at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine has proved that umbilical cord blood can be used to regenerate lung cells for children with cystic fibrosis, the stored sibling cord blood will be used to treat the brother or sister suffering from the disease.

 “Most cystic fibrosis siblings will not have the mutation causing cystic fibrosis, and sibling cord blood has a one in four chance of being a perfect match that will not be rejected by the immune system of the child living with cystic fibrosis”, said Professor Williamson.

“However, the cord blood of cystic fibrosis siblings is too precious for us to use in our study, and we are able to do our work on samples donated by unrelated people who are not affected”.

“But thanks to CordBank in New Zealand, we are ensuring that affected families are banking precious sibling cord blood now so they are ready when a breakthrough comes.” 

Professor Williamson emphasised that the breakthrough could still be several years away, however even at this early stage, there are positive signs the project is going well, and some lung proteins have been expressed in the cord blood cells in the test tube, “Cord blood is a very exciting resource, full of different kinds of stem cells.  These have already been shown to form liver, brain and skin cells, and they represent a real hope for people with cystic fibrosis now that we can add lung cells to the list.  We already know that umbilical cord blood is known to be safe and effective when used to treat childhood cancers and leukaemia, and we hope that cord blood will provide cells with a potential to rebuild damaged lungs in people with cystic fibrosis.” 

Announcing CordBank’s involvement with the project, the Chief Executive of the New Zealand Cystic Fibrosis Association, Kate Russell, said CordBank’s support was very much appreciated.

“Cystic fibrosis is an expensive illness and families with a cystic fibrosis child can be placed under severe financial strain. People would be surprised at what the government does not fund in terms of the most basic medical equipment and support for these families”.

Cystic fibrosis is a life-shortening genetic condition, with no known cure at this time.  Many children with cystic fibrosis used to die in early childhood, but advances in treatment have extended life expectancy to 30 years and more.

The condition primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, causing a build up of thick sticky mucus in the body resulting in repeated lung infections and severely impaired digestion.  To keep healthy, people with cystic fibrosis must receive chest physiotherapy daily to keep their lungs free of mucus.  Regular antibiotic treatment, dozens of enzyme pills to aid digestion, and periods of hospitalisation are also a part of life with cystic fibrosis.

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Robertson, who is renowned for his philanthropy and investment in New Zealand, has over the last 15 years developed two luxury golf courses at Kauri Cliffs in Northland and Cape Kidnappers in Hawke’s Bay, and invested in several wineries, including Dry River in Wairarapa and Te Awa in Hawke’s Bay.

Duke University has announced that the donation by The Robertson Foundation will go to support the work of Dr Joanna Kurtzberg who will use some of the funding to move forward with the first placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in children with (cerebral palsy) that has been specifically designed to answer key questions about the efficacy of cord blood treatments in children with this condition.

To date over 200 children have been reinfused with their own cord blood by Dr Kurtzberg, including New Zealander Maia Friedlander who was successfully treated with her own cord blood at Duke in August 2008. Maia, who suffered oxygen deprivation at birth, has made significant progress. Maia’s cord blood had been stored with CordBank in New Zealand. To view her story go to www.cordbank.co.nz

Dr. Victor Dzau, Duke’s chancellor for health affairs and chief executive of the Duke University Health System, said the state-of-the-art Translational Cell Therapy Center would advance the university’s pioneering cell therapy research and treatment programs for children and adults with cancer, cerebral palsy, stroke and brain injuries suffered at birth. Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg and her research team have spent decades investigating the therapeutic use of umbilical cord blood stem cells, he said.

Umbilical cord blood stem cells, normally discarded after birth, have the ability to grow and develop into various types of cells throughout the body. They can be harvested after birth and stored for future transplant in patients with many types of blood disorders, and increasingly, other diseases as well.

“The emerging field of regenerative medicine has great promise, and this generous gift will accelerate the pace of Dr. Kurtzberg’s and other Duke scientists’ world-renowned, translational work in cell therapies,” Dzau said in a statement.

“The creation of the TCTC will support the work of many Duke researchers exploring various applications of cell-based therapies.”

 “Dr. Kurtzberg’s research reflects the kind of transformational science that has the potential to change the lives of thousands of people throughout the country and around the world,” Julian Robertson, of the Robertson Foundation, said in a statement.

In an interview on CNBC last year, Julian Robertson shared his excitement about the potential of cord blood stem cells, having heard about Maia Friedlander’s treatment at Duke from her parents.

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Based on a U.S. News and World Report article about the study, those with corneal diseases may stand to benefit most if/when such a therapy were to become clinically available.  They wouldn’t need to wait for a donated cornea, which, as the article states, are in short supply, so the prospect of an alternative therapy would be helpful.

More than 80 clinical trials are already underway using MSCs, and doctors are enthusiastic about the results reported for therapies addressing several conditions, including stroke, heart attack, bone injuries and autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. In addition, because MSCs serve as the foundation of connective tissue, applications in treating common joint and sports injuries may be another potential application with widespread use.  MSCs are found in bone marrow, fat tissue, and the umbilical cord.

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