Cord blood is often lauded for the fact that it is easier to match than bone marrow when used as a source of stem cells for cancer patients in need of a transplant. However, it still requires HLA matching which means that it is important to collect cord blood donations from families of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Given this priority, combined with the fact that public donation programs are few and far between, it is vitally important that public cord blood donation programs first be focused on areas with a diverse population. The California Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program has recognized this need and built their program accordingly.  

​Join us to hear Dr. Suzanne Pontow, Director of the California Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program, go into detail about cord blood collection amongst diverse ethnic populations. This state-funded cord blood collection program has selected high-birthrate hospitals in five metropolitan areas. This has allowed the state of California to develop a public cord blood inventory with increased racial/ethnic diversity compared with the national inventory. In her presentation, Dr. Pontow will describe the program's racial and Hispanic ethnicity demographic and usage characteristics of cord blood units (CBUs) preserved under this legislative program and retrieved for transplantation.

SHARE THE SCIENCE
with

Suzanne Pontow, PhD
Co-Director, Umbilical Cord Blood Collection Program for University of California Davis Health System
 
"Transplant Activity Reflects the
Diversity of the California Public Cord Blood Inventory" 
Free webinar.  Open to the public.
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Wednesday, July 13th, 2022  3pm EDT / 2pm CDT

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE
via the Share the Science Archive

It is hard to believe that 15 years have already passed since the first studies began using stem cells to treat cerebral palsy. In that time, more than 2,400 people have been treated via clinical trials based on stem cell research. Of these treatments, cord blood stands out with trials using either donated cord blood or a person's own cord blood. Yet, no stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy has been approved anywhere in the world to date. The reason is simple. More trials are needed and more evidence must be gathered before moving to the next phase of adoption within the greater medical community. 

The future is bright! Indeed, evidence is mounting from these clinical trials and groups like the Cerebral Palsy Alliance are taking notice. For this edition of Share the Science, we are proud to welcome Dr. Madison Paton and Dr. Megan Finch-Edmondson who have done a thorough review of over 15 years of evidence from clinical trials using cord blood as well as mesenchymal stem cells, brain/neural stem cells and haematopoietic/blood-forming stem cells. Their review helps to understand the potential of these treatment methods, as well as identifying the areas that still need to be explored. 

Join us to better understand the scope of previous studies as well as the encouraging results from these clinical trials. Be a part of the discussion, as we ask 'What steps are next?' 'What treatments are worthwhile?' 'Can this be scaled to large groups of people?' and. . . 'What is the role of cord blood in this exciting future?' 

SHARE THE SCIENCE
with

Madison Paton, PhD & Megan Finch-Edmondson, PhD
Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute, University of Sydney
 
"Witness 15 Years of Cord Blood in the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy"

Free webinar.  Open to the public.
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Wednesday, May 4th, 2022  5pm EDT / 2pm PDT

RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE. Click here to watch via the Share the Science archive.
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The Cerebral Palsy Alliance has been operating for over 70 years. The CPA organisation was developed by a group of parents of children with cerebral palsy, and was originally known as the Spastic Centre of New South Wales (Australia). Led by Neil and Audrie McLeod, whose daughter Jennifer had cerebral palsy, these parents built a brighter future for their children – pioneering treatment, education, equipment, employment, recreation, independent living and research for people with cerebral palsy worldwide. 

Today, Cerebral Palsy Alliance provides family-centred therapies, life skills programs, equipment and support for people and their families living with cerebral palsy and other neurological and physical disabilities.  In addition, for over a decade CPA has been driving international research into the prevention, treatment and cure of cerebral palsy through the CPA Research Foundation .

The past two years have brought dramatic change to the healthcare industry due to the Covid pandemic. In particular, biotherapies have been impacted. In this special presentation by AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies), presenters will suggest ways for cord blood banks and users to diversify uses of this life-saving medical resource and delve into the current regulations from the USA and the EU.
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Dr. Angie Muniz and Federico Quezada will present and welcome discussion from attendees regarding the following areas:

• Current US FDA/EU regulations
• Medical applications of cord blood for uses other than transplantation
• Preparing agreements/business considerations in order to establish partnerships with sponsoring institutions

​Christina Celluzzi, PhD, MS, Director of Biotherapies, AABB, will moderate the session and provide a short introduction.

You will also learn more about AABB’s cellular product toolkit and the cord blood and Spanish language subsections. These resources offer unique opportunities for your professional development.

Join us live for this exciting webinar and discussion to explore the ways cord blood will evolve to meet new needs in the biotherapy industry.