NYBCe’s CSO Dr. Larry Luchsinger, President and CEO Dr. Christopher D. Hillyer, our team of researchers, and our nationally recognized cord blood program collaborated on a study led by the Broxmeyer lab at Indiana University to understand the effects of long-term cryopreservation on engraftment of umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
Cord blood HSC transplantation is a life-saving treatment for malignant and non-malignant hematologic disorders. The clinical engraftment of long-term cryopreserved UCBs is generally excluded due to the perceived diminishing effect of age on cellular integrity and HSC efficacy. This has led to an overall reduction of searchable UCB inventory and HLA diversity that would offer better match options and outcomes for patients.
The crucial findings from this team could potentially shift the clinical considerations in favor of using long-term cryopreserved UCBs. The study demonstrated that the age of UCB unit has no significant impact on cell recovery and engraftment potential of HSCs compared to the freshly cryopreserved units.
Read our publication and gain additional insights on:
- The integrity, function, and engraftment potential of HSCs in mouse models from 27-year-old cord blood units.
- The molecular markers to use to establish the clinical efficacy of older units.
- The impact of this study in expanding the searchable UCB inventory for clinical transplantation.
Broxmeyer et al., Insights into highly engraftable hematopoietic cells from 27-year cryopreserved umbilical cord blood, Cell Reports Medicine (2023),