SMART CELLS’ USA UNIVERSITY PARTNER MOVES ON CEREBRAL PALSY CURE RESEARCH.

SMART CELLS INTERNATIONAL

STEM CELL COLLECTION AND STORAGE

PRESS RELEASE

September 28, 2010.

SMART CELLS’ USA UNIVERSITY PARTNER MOVES ON CEREBRAL PALSY CURE RESEARCH.

SCI videos here.

London-based Smart Cells International Ltd (SCI), the UK’s longest-established stem cell banking service, has established a partnership with Duke University in North Carolina, USA, one of the world’s leading healthcare learning centres.

SCI, which operates worldwide, has already been involved with two transplants relating to cerebral palsy treatment at Duke using autologous stem cells stored by SCI clients, where there was no indicator in the family or during pregnancy that cerebral palsy would develop.

“We’ve obviously being paying a great deal of attention to developments at Duke University given the developing partnership, and we’re absolutely delighted that Duke is now running a blind clinical trial and have funding to do so.

“Members of the team at Duke believe the key to at least lessening the severity of cerebral palsy lies within cord blood stem cells, and they have begun a clinical trial to find out if that is true,” said Amanda Cool of SCI.

Duke’s Paediatric Bone Marrow and Transplant program and director of the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, has begun a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-authorised random clinical trial to see if cord blood stem cells have the ability to cure or lessen spastic cerebral palsy in children aged between one and six years.

It is among a handful of authorised clinical trials in the USA involving stem cells.

The study is funded through a $10.2 million grant and has the potential to provide hope for people with cerebral palsy, and their families, as well as opening new doors or establish protocols for the use and gathering of stem cells.

Cerebral palsy is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to move and maintain balance. It is most often caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain before or during birth which results in damage to the portion of the brain that controls muscle tone.

Amanda Cool added: “We understand the goal of the clinical trial is as much about finding a treatment for cerebral palsy as it is about finding out what cord blood can do.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

+44 (0)7788 978800

www.smartcells.com

Notes:

Smart Cells, formed in February 2001, collects stem cells on behalf of families worldwide and stores samples at its labs in West Drayton near London Heathrow Airport in the UK. Smart Cells’ lab provides cord blood preparation and storage in an environment designed to comply with all current and foreseeable European medical guidelines and practices.

Stem cell storage expert Smart Cells International has been named London’s Life Sciences Exporter of the Year at the London Export Awards 2010,

Smart Cells International is fully licensed by the Human Tissue Authority and holds licence no 22522.

SMART CELLS INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES NEW STEM CELL COLLECTION PROCESS.

SMART CELLS INTERNATIONAL

STEM CELL COLLECTION AND STORAGE

PRESS RELEASE

June 29, 2010.

SMART CELLS INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES NEW STEM CELL COLLECTION PROCESS.

(Watch SCI videos here)

A new method of collecting and storing stem cells has been launched by Smart Cells International Ltd (SCI), the UK’s longest-established stem cell banking service.

The process allows the collection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the umbilical cord tissue.  

“MSCs have been studied extensively and the potential therapeutic value they offer for treatment in a wide range of diseases is increasing all the time,” said Shamshad Ahmed, SCI Chief Executive. 

“Until recently, the umbilical cord was thrown away, but scientific advances mean stem cells can now be harvested from the cord itself, and stored. We call this service ‘Smart Cord’.

“Clinical trials are underway evaluating MSCs from cord tissue for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes and Stroke, skeletal muscle injury, limb ischemia, and retinal nerve degeneration.

“Advancements in scientific technology to harness the potential of umbilical cord tissue, which is now widely accepted to be a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) means a much wider proportion of the world’s population can benefit from stem cell collection”

The procedures used to procure and cryopreserve this rich source of stem cells have been developed in-house by the Smart Cells team.  By offering this service Smart Cells is achieving a considerable technological milestone offering customers the chance of storing an even greater pool of stem cells for future use.

Shamshad Ahmed, Chief Executive of Smart Cells, said: “We have developed the technology to store umbilical cord tissue-mesenchymal stem cells. Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and does not contain mesenchymal progenitors. We have established state of the art facilities for efficient processing and long term storage of cord tissue.

“Just as with the cord blood, parents should also be given the information about the benefits of storing their child’s cord tissue stem cells.”

Just as with cord blood, the collection procedure is a quick, safe, non-invasive and simple procedure. Once delivered to the laboratory facilities, the cord tissue can be efficiently processed and prepared for long term storage. 

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

+44 (0)7788 978800

www.smartcells.com

Notes:

Smart Cells, formed in February 2001, collects stem cells on behalf of families worldwide and stores samples at its labs in West Drayton near London Heathrow Airport in the UK. Smart Cells’ lab provides cord blood preparation and storage in an environment designed to comply with all current and foreseeable European medical guidelines and practices.

Stem cell storage expert Smart Cells International has been named London’s Life Sciences Exporter of the Year at the London Export Awards 2010,

Smart Cells International is fully licensed by the Human Tissue Authority and holds licence no 22522.

Smart Cells International releases new stem cell YouTube videos

Smart Cells International www.smartcells.com has released short (30 to 90 second) videos on YouTube (search stem cells or Smart Cells), including an explanation of the collection and storage process, identifying stem cell treatable diseases, how different ethnic groups can be helped through stem cell collection, storage and transplant, plus background to Smart Cells International. Interviews with Shamshad Ahmed, CEO of Smart Cells, and Amanda Cool General manager of Smart Cells. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqr7Tf8z90Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JemG6r9mW04