For the most part, stem cell research is still directed at finding basic understanding. Clinical trials continue to attempt to establish safety first and efficacy second. Meanwhile, Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg at Duke University is a standout medical scientist providing real solutions pioneered through the use of unrelated donor umbilical cord blood stem cells in patients who do not have a fully matched donor. Her efforts and creativity have extended this life-saving therapy to many patients, most of them small children.
Under Kurtzberg's direction the program has performed over 1,400 autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplants in children with cancer or genetic diseases since 1990.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant is provided as a treatment option for a variety of acquired and congenital disorders of children and young adults including hematopoietic malignancies and solid tumors including neuroblastoma and brain tumors, inherited immune deficiency syndromes, bone marrow failure syndromes, hemoglobinopathies, and inherited metabolic diseases.
So what does her program at Duke have going on at the moment? Here is a sample:
- A Pilot Study of Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Children and Adults with Hematologic Malignancies
- A Pilot Study of Unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant in Adults and Children with Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes or Inherited Metabolic or Hematologic Diseases
- A Pilot Trail of unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation (UCBT) Augmented with Cytokine-Primed Aldehyde Dehydrogenase-Bright (ALDH) Cells
- A Pilot Trial of Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Augmented with Cord Blood Cells Expanded Ex Vivo
- A Prospective, Phase I/II Trail Determining the Efficacy and safety of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation using banked unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Supplemented with Related, Haplo-Identical T-Cell Depleted Stem Cells in patients with High Risk Malignancies
The value of cord blood storage and transplant is well established. It's nice to be able to post about a program that's getting solid results from an established stem cell treatment.
Additional information on the Duke Program.
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