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Cord blood stem cells have been shown to give rise to hematopoietic, epithelial, endothelial and neural tissues both in vitro and in vivo1. As such, the application of cord blood in regenerative medicine is being investigated in a number of diseases including cardiovascular, ophthalmic, orthopaedic, neurological and endocrine diseases.
Two of Insception Lifebank’s clients have participated in a clinical trial to determine the effect of autologous cord blood in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). CP is a motor disability caused by brain damage. The greatest risk factors for CP are prematurity, an infection of the amniotic fluid and oxygen deprivation during gestation or birth. Animal studies have demonstrated that cord blood cells injected into rabbits with a cerebral palsy-like condition can travel to the brain and lessen
symptoms, in some cases preventing them altogether.
Based on these results, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg, Director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Duke University, is conducting a clinical trial which involves infusing pediatric CP patients with their own umbilical cord blood. The procedure involves a 20 minute intravenous infusion in the back of the hand followed by a saline drip for 2 hours. The trial will study 40 children, and each child’s progress will be monitored by MRI and other types of evaluation2.
Results from this trial to date are anecdotal. While a few children have had dramatic responses to the cord blood infusion, most children have had a modest response. Dr. Kurtzberg cautions that further studies are required to determine the net benefit of cord blood infusion in CP patients3.
Along with the CP trial, Dr. Kurtzberg is involved with a number of other ongoing trials which are investigating the therapeutic potential of cord blood in disorders including neonatal hypoxicischemic encephalopathy, lysosomal storage diseases and inherited metabolic diseases4.
It is anticipated that the continued research and clinical trials currently being conducted, will support the application of cord blood for future regenerative therapies.
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1 Harris DT Br J Haematol. 2009 Oct;147(2):177-84.
2 articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/07/health/he-cpalsy7
3 https://dukemedmag.duke.edu/assets/articles/18647/Clinical_update.pdf
4 https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=kurtzberg+cord+blood
