Innovations in Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation
Research studies supported by Children's Cancer Research Fund are making advances in umbilical cord blood transplantation.
Chemotherapy and radiation treatments for cancer can severely damage bone marrow cells, requiring their replacement. Bone marrow provides a variety of crucial life functions, including:
- The production of blood cells necessary for oxygen transportation.
- Defense against infection.
- Prevention of bleeding.
Research studies supported by Children's Cancer Research Fund have been instrumental in developing new treatments that use umbilical cord blood transplantation. The ultimate goal is to improve the successful cure rates in both children and adults with life-threatening cancer.
The Advantages of Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants
Stem cells for a transplant can be drawn from three sources:
- Bone marrow donations.
- Stem cells filtered from a donor’s blood.
- Blood collected from the umbilical cord and placenta (or afterbirth) after a healthy baby is born.
Cord blood transplants have been carried out since 1994 with remarkable results. Stem cells from cord blood can be used for transplants even if the donor is unrelated and mismatched to the patient. Plus, the chance of graft-versus-host-disease – a potentially life threatening dangerous complication after transplantation – has proven to be low.
Currently, there are 5.5 million bone marrow donors registered around the world, but still more than half of patients who need bone marrow treatment cannot find a match. This has led to increased interest in cord blood transplantation to meet demand.
Advances in Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants
Children's Cancer Research Fund supports studies at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center that improve survival rates for patients undergoing umbilical cord blood transportation. University of Minnesota researchers launched two trials in 2000 focused on expanding the amount of stem cells used in transplants. The most promising observation showed a larger number of stem cells transplanted resulted in a markedly higher successful transplantation rate – especially with unrelated or mismatched cord blood.
In the first study, umbilical cord blood from two different sources were mixed together, and then transplanted successfully without rejection. In the second study, healthy parental stromal cells were infused immediately prior to cord blood transplantation. Initial results show an extraordinarily rapid pace at which the donated cells grow and make new blood cells (engraftment). Patients in the study averaged 9 and 14 days engrafting after transplantation as compared to the average of 23 days.
Centers around the world are trying to replicate these results.
