Blog Posts

Share the Science: Dr. Curtis Cetrulo - Stem Cells & Reconstructive Transplantation

1/21/2021

Save the Cord Foundation and WellSky are proud to welcome Dr. Curtis Cetrulo, Jr., as our featured speaker for our next edition of Share the Science on January 28th, 2021. Join us to hear Dr. Cetrulo present his amazing research regarding the use of hematopoietic stem cells in revolutionary reconstructive penis transplants.

Share the Science is a free webinar series focused on the cord blood industry and the latest research in this field. As always, we invite both health professionals and the general public to join us for this unique online educational series. Learn more about this exciting educational series here.

***Please be advised that this webinar will contain some graphic images. While these are presented in a purely educational context, we would not recommend this webinar to young or sensitive viewers.***

Stem Cells: Use in Reconstructive Transplantation

What role do stem cells have in reconstructive transplants?

Vascularized composite allografts (VCAs) — transplants of the face, hand, and other extremities – offer great hope for those experiencing amputation, traumatic injury, or disfiguring disease. One obstacle to these procedures is the rejection of multiple tissue types from unrelated doors.

Learn how hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) play a vital role as part of a broader immunosuppression approach that allows transplants of composite tissue types from unrelated donors to overcome rejection.

Dr. Curtis Cetrulo practices cutting-edge adult and pediatric reconstructive microsurgery, as well as hand surgery, breast and burn reconstruction, and reconstruction of extremities and traumatic facial injuries. He presents numerous inspirational examples of how VCAs are changing lives.

How has the use of HSCs changed lives?

Dr. Cetrulo will present numerous examples from his work of how the use of HSCs has improved patient outcomes. Some of these cases have also been highlighted in the national media. The New York Times featured Dr. Cetrulo and his team in 2016 when they performed the world's first ever penis transplant. In 2019, The LA Times featured a series of articles highlighting Dr. Cetrulo and his team following a penis transplant performed on a soldier who had been injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan.

Clearly, we still have much to learn about the use of HSCs in reconstructive transplants but thanks to Dr. Cetrulo's work we can see infinite possiblities for the use of these powerful stem cells. This is research which builds on the world of cord blood research and the use of cord blood stem cells in regenerative medicine. Understanding Dr. Cetrulo's work is key to this emerging field.

SHARE THE SCIENCE
with

Curtis L. Cetrulo, Jr., M.D., FACS

Director of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School

"Reconstructive Transplantation: New Paradigms, New Technologies"

Free webinar (pre-recorded). Open to the public.

Thursday, January 28th - 2 pm Eastern Time/ 11 am Pacific Time

Watch the Recording: Share the Science with Dr. Curtis Cetrulo

This session was originally presented at WellSky’s CareForum Client Conference, and will now be rebroadcast as part of our Share the Science series in conjunction with Save the Cord Foundation.

About the speaker

Curtis L. Cetrulo, Jr., M.D., FACS

Director of the Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School
Dr. Cetrulo established the first Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation Team at MGH and in 2012 led this team in performing MGH’s first hand transplant, distinguished by the patient’s excellent functional and immunological outcome compared to other hand transplant recipients throughout the world.

He has delivered numerous invited lectures internationally and nationally on both clinical and basic research topics. He also holds international and national leadership roles in this field, and was recently elected President of the International Society of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation and Scientific Program Committee Co-Chairman of the American Society of Reconstructive Transplantation.

We wish to thank Dr. Curtis Cetrulo for volunteering his time to speak on
Share the Science and sharing his valuable insight
on using HSC's for reconstructive transplantation.

We also wish to also thank our generous sponsor and partner for this event,
WellSky Health, who continue to support cord blood
education through our “Share the Science” series.

Share the Science: Regenerative Stem Cell Therapies for the Wounded Warrior - Dr. Lloyd Rose

10/8/2020

Save the Cord Foundation and WellSky are proud to welcome Dr. Lloyd Rose of US Army Medical Material Development Activity, as our featured speaker for our next edition of Share the Science on October 22nd, 2020. Join us to hear Dr. Rose present his research regarding regenerative stem cell therapies and how the US Department of Defense is harnessing this research to help injured soldiers. Recording now available . Click here to view.

Share the Science is a free webinar series focused on the cord blood industry and the latest research in this field. As always, we invite both health professionals and the general public to join us for this unique online educational series. Learn more about this exciting educational series here.

Department of Defense Harnessing Stem Cell Therapies

The last two decades have seen great improvement in our ability to keep traumatically injured soldiers alive from wounds that previously would have proven fatal. However, the result has been an increase in severe functional deficits due to loss of tissue and limbs.

Harnessing stem cell therapies to regenerate lost or damaged tissue holds out hope for restoring our Wounded Warriors to full functionality and improving their quality of life.

Learn what the Department of Defense (DoD) is doing to support cell therapies for traumatic injury
Examine the manufacturing and regulatory roadblocks to cell therapies and tissue engineered medical products, and what can be done to overcome them
See the work being done to manufacture red blood cells at scale and at point of need

Register now to discover some of the extraordinary work the DoD is doing in cell therapy and regenerative medicine to address traumatic injuries, especially those suffered by Military personnel.

SHARE THE SCIENCE
with
Lloyd Rose, PhD

Regenerative Medicine Portfolio Manager, Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program
US Army Medical Material Development Activity

"Stem Cell Therapies for the Wounded Warrior"

Free webinar. Open to the public.

Thursday, October 22nd - 2pm Eastern Time/ 11am Pacific Time

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE RECORDING

Watch the Recording: Share the Science with Dr. Lloyd Rose

About the speaker

Dr. Rose is responsible for planning, budgeting, and execution of Army, Defense Health Program and Congressional Special Interest funds directed toward dynamic and innovative regenerative medicine research. After earning a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, he began a postdoctoral fellowship at the U.S Army Institute of Surgical Research working on burns, scarring, and skin regeneration. In 2015, he moved to the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland to manage research projects in Regenerative Medicine.

We wish to thank Dr. Lloyd Rose for volunteering his time to speak on
Share the Science and sharing his valuable insight
on regenerative stem cell therapies for injured soldiers.

We also wish to also thank our generous sponsor and partner for this event,
WellSky Health, who continue to support cord blood
education through our “Share the Science” series.

Share the Science: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) Cell Therapy for Lymphoma

9/10/2020

Save the Cord Foundation and WellSky are proud to welcome Sairah Ahmed, M.D. from the University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center, as our featured speaker for our next edition of Share the Science on September 24th, 2020. Join us to hear Dr. Ahmed present her research regarding CAR-T Cell therapy and the multiple constructs of CAR-T therapy, and when they are effective for the treatment of certain types of lymphoma. RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE: VIEW IT HERE.

Share the Science is a free webinar series focused on the cord blood industry and the latest research in this field. As always, we invite both health professionals and the general public to join us for this unique online educational series. Learn more about this exciting educational series here.

Latest Research: CAR-T Cell Therapy for Lymphoma

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Sairah Ahmed as our next featured speaker on Share the Science. We have had many requests from the Save the Cord community to highlight the latest research in CAR-T cell therapy and as it relates to cord blood. Indeed, this is a new and emerging area of scientific research with great promise. Given that we welcome not only healthcare professionals to our webinars but also the general public, we feel it is important to give you a brief overview of the basics regarding CAR-T cell therapy.

What is CAR-T Cell Therapy?

A type of treatment in which a patient's T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells. T cells are taken from a patient’s blood. Then the gene for a special receptor that binds to a certain protein on the patient’s cancer cells is added to the T cells in the laboratory. The special receptor is called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Large numbers of the CAR T cells are grown in the laboratory and given to the patient by infusion. CAR T-cell therapy is used to treat certain blood cancers, and it is being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Also called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.

Source: National Cancer Institute

In this special webinar focused on CAR-T Cell Therapy, Dr. Ahmed will discuss how cord blood sources play a critical role in treating select lymphomas including the potential of using CAR-T cell therapy. This method of treatment shows particular promise in treating lymphomas that are not responding to other methods. During Dr. Ahmed's presentation she will highlight which patients are the best candidates for treatment with CAR-T therapy and how is CAR-T therapy different from autologous transplant for lymphoma. She will also discuss which types of lymphoma can be treated with CAR-T therapy. The toxicity specific to CAR-T therapy, as well as novel lymphoma cellular therapy treatment from cord blood sources will also be discussed.

SHARE THE SCIENCE
with
Sairah Ahmed, M.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

"Chimeric Antigen Receptor T (CAR-T) Cell Therapy for Lymphoma"

Free webinar. Open to the public.

Thursday, September 24th - 2pm Eastern Time/ 11am Pacific Time

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE

WATCH THE RECORDING: Share the Science: Dr. Sairah Ahmed, MD - CAR-T Cell Therapy

About the speaker

Dr. Sairah Ahmed received her medical degree from Khyber Medical College in Pakistan. Prior to joining MD Anderson, Dr. Ahmed was Chief Fellow of Hematology/Oncology at Northwestern University. She is passionate about stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy.

We wish to thank Dr. Sairah Ahmed for volunteering her time to speak on
Share the Science and sharing her valuable insight
on CAR-T Cell Therapies using cord blood.

We also wish to also thank our generous sponsor and partner for this event,
WellSky Health, who continue to support cord blood
education through our “Share the Science” series.