Optimizing isolation culture and freezing methods to preserve Wharton's jelly's mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) properties: an MSC banking protocol validation for the Hellenic Cord Blood Bank.

Background: Mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population that can be isolated from many tissues including umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (UC-WJ). Although initially limited in studies such as a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation adjuvant, an increasing number of clinical trials consider MSCs as a potential anti-inflammatory or a regenerative medicine agent. It has been proposed that creating a repository of MSCs would increase their availability for clinical applications.

Successful short-term cryopreservation of volume-reduced cord blood units in a cryogenic mechanical freezer: effects on cell recovery, viability, and clonogenic potential.

Background: Cord blood (CB) units are stored from weeks to years in liquid- or vapor-phase nitrogen until they are used for transplantation. We examined the effects of cryostorage in a mechanical freezer at -150°C on critical quality control variables of CB collections to investigate the possible use of mechanical freezers at -150°C as an alternative to storage in liquid- (or vapor-) phase nitrogen.

Study Design And Methods: A total of 105 CB units were thawed and washed at different time intervals (6, 12, 24, and 36 months).

Low usage rate of banked sibling cord blood units in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for children with hematological malignancies: implications for directed cord blood banking policies.

Directed sibling cord blood banking is indicated in women delivering healthy babies who already have a sibling with a disease that is potentially treatable with an allogeneic cord blood transplant. We evaluated the effectiveness of a national directed cord blood banking program in sibling HLA-identical stem cell transplantation for hematological malignancies and the factors influencing the usage rate of the stored cord blood units. Fifty families were enrolled from which, 48 cord blood units were successfully collected and 2 collections failed due to damaged cord/placenta at delivery.

Directed sibling donor cord blood banking for children with beta-thalassemia major in Greece: usage rate and outcome of transplantation for HLA-matched units.

Several cord blood banks store cord blood units from healthy siblings of patients, who are candidates for stem cell transplantation. We analyzed the quality characteristics of 50 cord blood units collected from families with beta-thalassemia major and the outcome of subsequent stem cell transplantations during a 15-year period. All cord blood units were found suitable for banking based on a minimum net volume of 40 ml.

Is there MHC Class II restriction of the response to MHC Class I in transplant patients?

Background: In this study, we evaluated distinct HLA-DRB1 alleles to determine class II restriction of the production of HLA-A2-specific antibodies in renal transplant patients.

Methods: Data from 217 renal transplant patients who received an HLA-A2-mismatched renal graft were analyzed with regard to HLA-A2 humoral responsiveness. High-resolution DNA typing of class II HLA-DR alleles was performed by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primer.