Umbilical Cord News and Research

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The umbilical cord is the structure that attaches the fetus to the placenta and acts as the medium through which nutrients, gases and waste products travel between the mother and the fetus.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells show promise to treat muscular dystrophies

Results of a compassionate-use study released in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine show promising results for treating muscular dystrophies with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from Wharton's jelly (WJ), a substance found in the umbilical cord. Led by doctors at Klara Medical Center (KMC), Czestochowa, Poland, these WJ-MSC treatments resulted in significant improvement in several body muscles in most of the patients, with no serious side effects.

27 Jul 2021

Study reveals pathological mechanism and treatment strategy of pre-engraftment syndrome

The research team led by Prof. WEI Haiming and Prof. TIAN Zhigang from Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, collaborating with the research group led by Prof. SUN Zimin from the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC revealed the pathological mechanism of severe pre-engraftment syndrome (PES) after umbilical cord blood transplantation, not only providing a treatment strategy for patients with PES, but significantly guiding for further improvement in the curative effect of unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT).

19 Jul 2021

NIH begins study to evaluate how pregnant, postpartum people react to COVID-19 vaccines

A new observational study has begun to evaluate the immune responses generated by COVID-19 vaccines administered to pregnant or postpartum people.

23 Jun 2021

Study reveals maternal and neonatal benefits of Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine

A new commentary, published as an ‘In-Press Preview’ in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, addresses the salient issue of vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in pregnancy and potential antibody transfer to the fetus – and provides the evidence in support of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine safety and efficacy for both maternal and child health.

13 Jun 2021

Treating critically ill COVID-19 patients with non-altered umbilical cord stem cells increases survival

Critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with non-altered stem cells from umbilical cord connective tissue were more than twice as likely to survive as those who did not have the treatment, according to a study published today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine.

8 Jun 2021

New biomaterial for pancreatic islet transplants does not trigger the body's immune response

A multidisciplinary research team led by Jonathan Lakey, Ph.D., professor of surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine, has developed a biomaterial for pancreatic islet transplants that doesn't trigger the body's immune response.

4 Jun 2021

Secondhand smoke during pregnancy linked to epigenetic changes in babies

Nearly a quarter of pregnant women say they've been around secondhand smoke - in their homes, at work, around a friend or relative - which, according to new research.

19 May 2021

NK cells combined with bispecific antibody display potent anti-tumor activity against lymphoma cells

Cytokine-activated natural killer (NK) cells derived from donated umbilical cord blood, combined with an investigational bispecific antibody targeting CD16a and CD30 known as AFM13, displayed potent anti-tumor activity against CD30+ lymphoma cells, according to a new preclinical study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

13 May 2021

No placental damage observed in case study of pregnant women with mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations

New research by a team at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, suggests that the COVID-19 vaccine does not damage the placenta and may be safe to use during pregnancy.

13 May 2021

Researchers conduct first-in-man clinical trial for new stem cell technology

Institutes and centres 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.

12 May 2021

Could stem cells improve the outcome of ARDS in severe COVID-19?

A recent study, published in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, explores the safety and efficacy of stem cells, which have been touted as the panacea for a wide range of illnesses, ranging from chronic degenerative conditions to cancer.

6 May 2021

Ultrasound technique provides a new way to diagnose circulation problems in the placenta

A team of researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health has developed a new ultrasound technique to monitor the placenta for impaired fetal blood flow early in pregnancy.

5 May 2021

New approach could revolutionize the treatment of liver diseases

Researchers from Niigata University , the University of Tokyo, Osaka University and Tokyo Medical University, Japan have developed a new approach that could revolutionize the treatment, prevention, and possibly reversal of the damages caused by liver diseases.

3 May 2021

Prenatal POP exposure may increase the risk of metabolic disorders in adolescence

Exposure before birth to persistent organic pollutants (POPs)-- organochlorine pesticides, industrial chemicals, etc.--may increase the risk in adolescence of metabolic disorders, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

29 Apr 2021

Study evaluates stem cells' ability to prevent major cause of death in preterm infants

A phase 2 clinical trial whose results were released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine might point to a way to overcome bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a major cause of death in preterm infants.

20 Apr 2021

Japanese–European scientists detect novel genetic mitochondrial disorder

The list of known genetic mitochondrial disorders is ever-growing, and ongoing research continues to identify new disorders in this category.

15 Apr 2021

Pregnant women transmit SARS-CoV-2 and vaccine-induced antibodies to fetus

Pregnant women are at high risk for severe COVID-19 infection and death. Yet, insufficient safety data on babies has led many guidelines to leave the decision-making and potential threats to future mothers. While the vaccine trials did not directly test pregnant women, more real-world data suggests the vaccine may provide immunity benefits to newborns through breastmilk.

11 Apr 2021

New proteomics method helps confirm COVID-19 transmission from mother to fetus

Researchers from Skoltech were part of a research consortium studying a case of vertical COVID-19 transmission from mother to her unborn child that resulted in major complications in the pregnancy, premature birth and death of the child.

19 Mar 2021

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines show high efficacy in pregnancy and lactation

A reassuring study reports the immunogenicity and lack of reactogenicity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine when given to this group of subjects. This will contribute to the sum of knowledge about the implications of vaccination in this high-risk cohort.

10 Mar 2021

Protective COVID-19 antibodies can transfer from mothers to babies in the womb

Antibodies that guard against COVID-19 can transfer from mothers to babies while in the womb, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian researchers published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

23 Feb 2021