SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre and Cordlife partner to advance stem cell technology
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SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre and Cordlife partner to advance stem cell technology to first-in-man clinical trial in Singapore
SINGAPORE, 11 May 2021 – Institutes and centers under the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre (AMC) are joining hands together with Singapore’s first private cord blood bank, Cordlife Group Limited (Cordlife), to test a novel technology that expands the number of blood-forming stem cells from stored umbilical cord blood (UCB) in a first-in-man study in Singapore. This is the first time a home-grown UCB cell therapy is being tested on humans. The technology has the potential to increase treatment options for patients suffering from blood cancers or blood-related conditions.
CORDLIFE IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The all-new Knowledge Lounge by Cordlife
SINGAPORE – Cordlife is pleased to launch a Knowledge Lounge in Mummys Market retail outlet for expectant parents in Raffles City Shopping Centre. Expectant parents can attend exclusive antenatal workshops and classes conducted by mother and child care experts, and take care of their shopping needs at the same time.
If you know someone who is currently expecting a baby, tell them more about Cordlife's Knowledge Lounge so that they can go there to shop and understand more about stem cell banking before the arrival of their child. A surprise gift awaits your friend*.
*Terms and conditions apply.
Give blood to give life with Cordlife
INDONESIA: Cordlife Indonesia and Dharmais Cancer Hospital held a series of awareness activities in the month of May to commemorate World Thalassaemia Day. The team at Cordlife Indonesia also donated blood to help save lives in crisis and to help people with medical conditions like thalassemia live longer.
Thalassemia is one of the world's most common inherited blood disorders. Patients with thalassemia need regular blood transfusions because their bodies cannot produce enough hemoglobin, an essential protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. If left untreated or undertreated, thalassemia can lead to life-threatening complications. A well-established treatment of thalassemia is the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells, which can be found in cord blood.
UPDATES AROUND THE WORLD
Sister helped brother recover from thalassemia
IRAN: Mojtaba seemed to be a normal and healthy baby until he became very sick with thalassemia major, the most severe form of thalassemia. He was only three months old.
In order to give Mojtaba a permanent cure, his parents had to find matching stem cells for transplantation. Unfortunately, none of their family members or relatives were a match. They also could not find a matching donor from the public bank. Thus, Mojtaba had to endure regular blood transfusions as an alternative treatment, which went on for 11 years until his second sister, Tahoura, was born in 2016.
Like a miracle, Tahoura's cord blood stem cells matched Mojtaba perfectly and he finally underwent a stem cell transplant. Fast forward to 2021, Mojtaba now lives life as a normal and healthy teenager.
Image retrieved on 21 June 2021, https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/mojtaba-recovery-thalassemia-major-through-his-sisters-stem-cells
Could stem cells be a potential cure for diabetes?
UNITED STATES: After seven years of failure, Viacyte, a regenerative medicine company, finally has data suggesting that stem cell treatment could be a potential cure for diabetes.
Although the data is limited as it came from a single patient, it does provide a proof-of-concept that stem cells may provide a functional cure for patients with type 1 diabetes, and perhaps in the future for those with type 2 diabetes.
The procedure entails manipulating banked stem cells into pancreatic precursor cells, and then implanting them into a patient. These cells mature into insulin-producing beta cells, replacing those that are lost in type 1 diabetes patients.
The patient who had type 1 diabetes for 36 years, had several indicators of elevated insulin production nine months after undergoing the therapy.
Image retrieved on 28 June 2021, https://endpts.com/after-years-of-failure-viacyte-shows-off-first-proof-of-concept-for-diabetes-stem-cell-transplants/
Footnote:
The above accreditations and certifications were attained by the Cordlife Group Limited and its subsidiaries. Cordlife Singapore and Healthbaby Hong Kong are FACT-NETCORD accredited. Cordlife Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Stemlife Malaysia and Healthbaby Hong Kong are AABB accredited. Cordlife India, Cordlife Hong Kong and Healthbaby Hong Kong are CAP accredited.
