Stem Cells Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stem Cells, including details on research, transplants, therapy, benefits.

Effects of Cord Blood Stem Cells in the Treatment of Leukemia

Over the course of the past decade, researchers and doctors have been using stem cells derived from cord blood to treat a wide range of blood diseases. Over the years, one of the most common uses for cord blood stem cells has been in the treatment of leukemia, helping patients to rebuild their immune systems and healthy blood cell count after chemotherapy. A recent study has revealed that leukemia patients who receive cord blood transplants are as likely to survive as those who have received bone marrow transplants. The results of 165 patients who received cord blood transplants were compared with 888 patients who received unrelated stem cell transplants and 472 who had related bone marrow transplants. It was revealed that the chances of survival were the same across the board, regardless of the source of stem cells. Until recently, the most common source for stem cells was bone marrow. The procedure to collect and transplant bone marrow stem cells can be very painful, and the stem cells themselves are not easily matchable. Cord blood stem cells, taken from the umbilical cord of newborn babies, are much easier to match. Many patients who are unable to find a perfectly-matched bone marrow donor can turn to cord blood, as an exact match is not needed. Additionally, the collection process for cord blood is painless, unlike bone marrow collection.

Published 1 March 2012 in Stem Cells.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Stem Cells published 6 May 2011:

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 in biodegradable gelatin and β-tricalcium phosphate sponges enhances the in vivo bone-forming capability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.   J Tissue Eng Regen Med.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used for bone tissue engineering due to their osteogenic differentiation capability, but their application is controversial. To enhance their capability, we prepared biodegradable gelatin sponges incorporating β-tricalcium phosphate ceramics (GT sponge), which has been shown to possess excellent controlled drug-release properties. The GT sponge was used as a carrier for both rat MSCs and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and osteogenic ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Tenogenic differentiation of stem cells for tendon repair-what is the current evidence?   J Tissue Eng Regen Med.

Tendon/ligament injuries are very common in sports and other rigorous activities. Tendons regenerate and repair slowly and inefficiently in vivo after injury. The limited ability of tendon to self-repair and the general inefficiencies of current treatment regimes have hastened the motivation to develop tissue-engineering strategies for tissue repair. Of particular interest in recent years has been the use of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to regenerate functional tendons and ligaments. ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Optimal reprogramming factor stoichiometry increases colony numbers and affects molecular characteristics of murine induced pluripotent stem cells.   Cytometry A.

Somatic cells can be reprogrammed toward pluripotency by overexpression of a set of transcription factors, yielding induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with features similar to embryonic stem cells. Little is known to date about stoichiometric requirements of the individual reprogramming factors (RFs) for efficient reprogramming and especially about whether stoichiometry also influences the quality of derived iPSCs. To address this important issue, we chose bicistronic lentiviral vectors ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Cancer stem cells in gliomas: Identifying and understanding the apex cell in cancer's hierarchy.   Glia.

Neuro-oncology research has rediscovered a complexity of nervous system cancers through the incorporation of cellular heterogeneity into tumor models with cellular subsets displaying stem-cell characteristics. Self-renewing cancer stem cells (CSCs) can propagate tumors and yield nontumorigenic tumor bulk cells that display a more differentiated phenotype. The ability to prospectively isolate and interrogate CSCs is defining molecular mechanisms responsible for the tumor maintenance and growth. ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Receptor Identifies a Pool of Human Cardiac Stem Cells With Superior Therapeutic Potential for Myocardial Regeneration.   Circ Res.

Rationale: Age and coronary artery disease may negatively affect the function of human cardiac stem cells (hCSCs) and their potential therapeutic efficacy for autologous cell transplantation in the failing heart. Objective: Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, IGF-2, and angiotensin II (Ang II), as well as their receptors, IGF-1R, IGF-2R, and AT1R, were characterized in c-kit(+) hCSCs to establish whether these systems would allow us to separate hCSC classes with different growth reserve in the ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Intracoronary Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Postischemic Myocardial Functional Recovery, Decrease Inflammation, and Reduce Apoptosis via a Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 Mechanism.   J Am Coll Surg.

BACKGROUND: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) regulates myocardial apoptosis, cellular proliferation, and the immune response after ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). STAT3 is also necessary for the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are known to reduce myocardial injury after I/R. However, it remains unknown whether STAT3 is an important mediator of MSC-based cardioprotection. We hypothesized that knockout of stem ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Pregnancy-associated progenitor cells: An under-recognized potential source of stem cells in maternal lung.   Placenta.

Novel therapies are needed for the treatment of acute and chronic lung diseases, many of which are incurable. The use of exogenous stem cells has shown promise in both animal models and clinical trials. However, to date, the stem cell literature has under-recognized naturally acquired pregnancy-associated progenitor cells (PAPCs). These cells are found at sites of injury or disease in female tissues. They persist for decades after parturition in maternal blood and organs, with the largest ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Suppression of Hepatocarcinorigenesis in Rats: Possible Role of Wnt Signaling.   J Exp Clin Cancer Res, 30(1): 49.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The present study was conducted to evaluate the tumor suppressive effects of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in an experimental hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model in rats and to investigate the possible role of Wnt signaling in hepato-carcinogenesis. METHODS: Ninety rats were included in the study and were divided equally into: Control group, rats which received MSCs only, rats which received MSCs vehicle only, HCC group induced by diethylnitroseamine ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

© 2004-2011 Stem Cells Research Today. All Rights Reserved.