Stem cell therapy for blood cancer tested in mice and humans

A new treatment, developed in Canada, could offer a stem cell treatment option for blood cancer patients unable to find a matching donor.  

Patients with cancers such as leukaemia or lymphoma, which affect the blood or immune system, often rely on stem cell transplants to replace damaged blood-forming cells. These transplants typically require a close match, either from a family member or a donor registry. When patients are unable to find a match, umbilical cord blood can be used, but most stored samples of cord blood do not contain enough stem cells for adult patients. 

This treatment, Zemcelpro, was developed by ExCellThera/Cordex Biologics Inc. to increase the number of stem cells in cord blood samples before they are transplanted. In mice, the expanded stem cells successfully went to the bone marrow and produced healthy human blood cells. 

In recent clinical studies, most adult patients with blood cancers treated with Zemcelpro showed early signs of recovery. Within 20 days, 84% of patients began producing white blood cells, and after 40 days 68% regained production of platelets, cells essential for blood clotting and stopping bleeding.  

Zemcelpro has not yet received full approval, but European Medicines Agency experts have recommended its use in patients with blood cancers with no matching donors and requiring stem cell treatment.