28.10.2008 – 13:00

ITERA International Tissue Engineering R

ITERA: Storage of umbilical cord stem cells makes sense

Maastricht, Netherlands (ots)

• Consensus found on six fundamental issues including storage and applications of umbilical cord derived stem cells
• Public-shared banking viewed as a good solution for individuals and the general public
• To date, over 85 diseases can be treated or supported with stem cells

Over 70 diseases can already be successfully treated with
hematopoietic (blood) stem cells and around 15 diseases are treated
with non-hematopoietic stem cells. Considering ongoing experiments
and clinical trials, the number of therapeutic applications is
expected to increase in the future. These are some of the results an
expert panel presented after the first ITERA consensus meeting on the
use, efficacy and medical applications of umbilical cord stem cells.
Eight of the leading scientists and clinicians from the field of stem
cell research and stem cell therapy united in the course of the
fourth ITERA workshop on October 14 and agreed on a consensus
addressing six fundamental issues.

Umbilical stem cells can be easily obtained, stored for many years
and are readily available

Umbilical cord stem cells can be obtained after the delivery of a
child. All eight experts consented that the isolation of umbilical
cord stem cells is harmless, easy and without risk for the mother or
the child. They can be stored for many years and are immediately
available when needed, possibly also for therapies that are still to
be developed. Umbilical cord stem cells can potentially be used on
the child itself (autologous use) or on a related family member or
unrelated patients (related or unrelated allogeneic use). "Umbilical
cord and the cord blood are the most easily accessible source of stem
cells and are mostly uncompromised from environmental or ageing
influences. They are considered to be more vital and in some cases
have shown to be more powerful in treatments as compared to stem
cells from other sources", said Colin McGuckin, Professor of
Regenerative Medicine at Newcastle University and member of the
consensus board.

Storage can be provided by so called private/family banks or, in
some countries, by public banks. Both forms of banks have their
specific merits. A more modern approach, so called public-shared
banking, might offer a good solution to fulfil the needs of
individuals as well as the general public, so the expert panel
agreed.

The consensus will serve as guidance for clinicians and the public
to support well-informed decision-making.

The full consensus with authorship can be downloaded at:
http://www.itera-ls.org/downloads.html

About ITERA

The ITERA (International Tissue Engineering Research Association)
Life-Sciences Forum is an international forum of scientists
specialised in stem cells, tissue-engineering and regenerative
medicine. The international board of the ITERA Life-Sciences Forum is
composed of researchers and physicians from universities, university
hospitals, stem cell and research institutes and biotechnological
companies. The annual international ITERA Life-Sciences Forum
workshop is dedicated to the latest developments in stem cell
research.

About Cryo-Save

Cryo-Save, Europe's leading provider of stem cell banks, is a
founding member of ITERA and sponsors the yearly workshops with an
unrestricted educational grant. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the
company conducts fundamental research in the field of
cryopreservation techniques for stem cells. The research is done in
partnership with five European universities and the Fraunhofer
Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) and is part of the EU
funded project CRYSTAL. The stem cell banking services of Cryo-Save
are available in 37 countries across three continents (Europe, Asia,
and Africa). The company offers a private-shared banking service in
Italy and will start to introduce this in other countries after
regulatory clearance.

Contact:

ITERA
Albert Ramon
Chairman of ITERA and Chairman of the Consensus Expert Panel
E-Mail: Itera@life-sciences.com

Colin McGuckin
Member of the Consensus Expert Panel
Newcastle Centre for Cord Blood
North-East England Stem Cell Institute
Institute of Human Genetics
University of Newcastle
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44-7971-266-764
E-Mail: c.mcguckin@conoworld.com

Burson-Marsteller
Angelika Kren, medical writer
Mobile: +41/79/688'95'19
E-Mail: angelika.kren@bm.com