Save the Cord Foundation and Mediware, Inc. are proud to announce the next edition in our Share the Science series. On July 19th, 2017, Save the Cord Foundation and Mediware, Inc. welcomed Dr. Omar Aljitawi, MBBS to speak about his research on our popular “Share the Science” series. Dr. Aljitawi presented “Promising Strategies to Improve Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants.” Register now to view the recording of this free webinar.
As an associate professor of hematology/oncology for the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York, Dr. Aljitawi will discuss discuss the status of the field of umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplant, including advantages, current indications, and major challenges. In particular, Dr. Aljitawi will discuss the newly discovered role of erythropoietin in cord blood stem cell function during transplant. He will address currently investigated approaches to target erythropoietin as a way to improve cord blood transplant outcomes.
Dr. Aljitawi specializes in studying human hematopoietic stem cells and their interaction with their microenvironment. In recent years, Dr. Aljitawi and his team have been investigating EPO signaling through EPO receptor (EPOR) effects on UCB CD34+ cell homing and engraftment. They recently discovered that exposure to erythropoietin impairs UCB CD34+ cell homing to the bone marrow. Building on this discovery, he and his team investigated the use of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) as a modality to lower systemic EPO with the aim of improving UCB CD34+ cell homing and engraftment.

In this edition of Share the Science, participants will learn about:

• Advantages and limitations of umbilical cord blood transplant
• Major challenges in the field of umbilical cord blood transplant
• Currently investigated approaches to overcome umbilical cord blood transplant limitations
• Role of erythropoietin in umbilical cord blood transplant

Join us for this special presentation. . . .

Dr. Omar Aljitawi, MBBS
from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York

“Promising Strategies to Improve Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants”

​Wednesday, 19 July 2017 at 1:30PM – 2:30PM Central Time
Free to register.  Open to the public.
RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE

Autism is a complicated developmental disability that affects as many as 1 in 68 children in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (source: CDC.gov). Imagine how many lives could be changed, if we could find a cure or treatment for autism. Many researchers feel that using a child’s own autologous cord blood could be the key to unlocking this mystery via the emerging field of regenerative medicine.
In this interview, Dr. Chez details the background and results of his clinical trials studying cord blood’s effect on autism. This particular study is significant because it included a placebo which is not always the case in cord blood research. Specifically, this was a double-blind placebo crossover study meaning that ultimately all participants received their cord blood.

​Tip for Parents
It is interesting to note that in this particular study and many like it, participants received their own cord blood via private banking. Several private cord blood banks around the world lead (or participate in) on-going research using cord blood. In some cases, parents who store their cord blood privately may be asked by their bank if they would like to participate in a clinical trial (covering a variety of topics). For some parents having this option is important because they anticipate health issues for their baby based on family history or an issue identified during pregnancy. However, not all cord blood banks participate in this type of research. If this is important to you, do your research on the bank you are considering and make sure that they follow the highest standards in terms of storage criteria and processing.

A great emphasis was placed on interacting with the expert presenters via lively roundtables and open panel discussions. Save the Cord Foundation was invited to host a roundtable discussion called “Educational Approaches.” We worked with attendees on new educational approaches addressing a variety of audiences, namely health professionals, expectant parents and our next generation of STEM professionals. Several of the participants in this roundtable discussion agreed to share their thoughts with the Save the Cord Foundation community.

Below is a quick summary based on some of the most talked about presentations:

One of the most exciting presentations was made by Dr. Colleen Delaney of Nohla Therapeutics and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Delaney presented “Ex-vivo Expanded Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cell Therapies: The Road from a Patient Specific to Universal Donor Approach.” Participants in our roundtable commented that there were several key points made in this presentation that health professionals and parents needed to know about, for example:

Another interesting presentation was made by Chiranya (Anjie) Prachaseri of Cryoviva in South East Asia, called “Perinatal Stem Cell Banking- Uses and Future Opportunities – A South East Asian Perspective.” This presentation emphasized the on-going problem with press and media coverage of cord blood which can often mislead parents and doctors. Prachaseri also discussed the fact that many parents do not know about the various accreditation groups who play a very important role in the industry.
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Although the presentation focused mainly on South East Asia, Dr. Mareike Uhlmann from Stemlab, who participated in our roundtable, agreed it is crucial. . .