13:00 | 28.10.2008
ITERA: Storage of Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Makes Sense
MAASTRICHT, Netherlands, October 28 /PRNewswire/ —
– Indication: Pictures are also available under
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– Consensus Found on Six Fundamental Issues Including Storage and
Applications of Umbilical Cord Derived Stem Cells
– Public-Shared Banking Viewed as a Good Solution for Individuals and the
General Public
– To Date, Over 85 Diseases can be Treated or Supported With Stem Cells
Over 70 diseases can already be successfully treated with hematopoietic
(blood) stem cells and around 15 diseases are treated with non-hematopoietic
stem cells. Considering ongoing experiments and clinical trials, the number
of therapeutic applications is expected to increase in the future. These are
some of the results an expert panel presented after the first ITERA consensus
meeting on the use, efficacy and medical applications of umbilical cord stem
cells. Eight of the leading scientists and clinicians from the field of stem
cell research and stem cell therapy united in the course of the fourth ITERA
workshop on October 14 and agreed on a consensus addressing six fundamental
issues.
Umbilical stem cells can be easily obtained, stored for many years and
are readily available
Umbilical cord stem cells can be obtained after the delivery of a child.
All eight experts consented that the isolation of umbilical cord stem cells
is harmless, easy and without risk for the mother or the child. They can be
stored for many years and are immediately available when needed, possibly
also for therapies that are still to be developed. Umbilical cord stem cells
can potentially be used on the child itself (autologous use) or on a related
family member or unrelated patients (related or unrelated allogeneic use).
“Umbilical cord and the cord blood are the most easily accessible source of
stem cells and are mostly uncompromised from environmental or ageing
influences. They are considered to be more vital and in some cases have shown
to be more powerful in treatments as compared to stem cells from other
sources,” said Colin McGuckin, Professor of Regenerative Medicine at
Newcastle University and member of the consensus board.
Storage can be provided by so called private/family banks or, in some
countries, by public banks. Both forms of banks have their specific merits. A
more modern approach, so called public-shared banking, might offer a good
solution to fulfil the needs of individuals as well as the general public, so
the expert panel agreed.
The consensus will serve as guidance for clinicians and the public to
support well-informed decision-making.
The full consensus with authorship can be downloaded at:
http://www.itera-ls.org/downloads.html
About ITERA
The ITERA (International Tissue Engineering Research Association)
Life-Sciences Forum is an international forum of scientists specialised in
stem cells, tissue-engineering and regenerative medicine. The international
board of the ITERA Life-Sciences Forum is composed of researchers and
physicians from universities, university hospitals, stem cell and research
institutes and biotechnological companies. The annual international ITERA
Life-Sciences Forum workshop is dedicated to the latest developments in stem
cell research.
About Cryo-Save
Cryo-Save, Europe’s leading provider of stem cell banks, is a founding
member of ITERA and sponsors the yearly workshops with an unrestricted
educational grant. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company conducts
fundamental research in the field of cryopreservation techniques for stem
cells. The research is done in partnership with five European universities
and the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) and is part of
the EU funded project CRYSTAL. The stem cell banking services of Cryo-Save
are available in 37 countries across three continents (Europe, Asia, and
Africa). The company offers a private-shared banking service in Italy and
will start to introduce this in other countries after regulatory clearance.
Contact:
ITERA
Albert Ramon
Chairman of ITERA and Chairman of the Consensus Expert Panel
E-Mail: Itera@life-sciences.com
Colin McGuckin
Member of the Consensus Expert Panel
Newcastle Centre for Cord Blood
North-East England Stem Cell Institute
Institute of Human Genetics
University of Newcastle
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44-7971-266-764
E-Mail: c.mcguckin@conoworld.com
Burson-Marsteller
Angelika Kren, medical writer
Tel: +41-79-688-95-19
E-Mail: angelika.kren@bm.com
ITERA (International Tissue Engineering Research Association)
Contact: ITERA, Albert Ramon, Chairman of ITERA and Chairman of the Consensus Expert Panel, E-Mail: Itera@life-sciences.com. Colin McGuckin, Member of the Consensus Expert Panel, Newcastle Centre for Cord Blood, North-East England Stem Cell Institute, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Newcastle, United Kingdom, Tel.: +44-7971-266-764, E-Mail: c.mcguckin@conoworld.com. Burson-Marsteller, Angelika Kren, medical writer, Tel: +41-79-688-95-19, E-Mail: angelika.kren@bm.com
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