Blog | HemaCare

A recent independent study cites using HemaCare-sourced immune cells to investigate a protein involved in gene activation during hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) development. ^[1]

The study, published by scientists at the Yokohama Institute in Japan, is focused on the function of a protein known as RUNX1. The reason RUNX1 is of particular interest is that it’s implicated in the development of a number of different types of cancer, including breast cancer, skin cancer, and acute myeloid leukemia. ^[2] In the latter case, defects in the gene that codes for the RUNX1 protein disrupt stem cell differentiation. This means that instead of normal development into mature cell types, there is a massive build-up of blast cells in the bone marrow, which is the hallmark of leukemia. Scientists have known since 2001 ^[3] that the RUNX1 protein is involved in the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into mature blood cells. But in order to target RUNX1’s role in cancer development, researchers need a much more in-depth knowledge of exactly how the protein is exerting its function.

Global biotechnology company Immunospot cites using B cells isolated from HemaCare-sourced peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) ^[1] for their studies on post-cryopreservation functionality.

Expectations are high that emerging field of cell therapy will be able to deliver breakthrough treatments or cures for many diseases, including cancer. One of the most powerful facets of this new medical field is the concept of immunotherapy--using the body’s own immune cells to specifically target disease. Immune cell function is at the heart of this concept, so keeping immune cells fully operational is crucially important. In this recent study published in the journal Cells, biopharmaceutical scientists aim to investigate B cell functionality following cryopreservation.

2018 has flown by, and 2019 is just around the corner! As the New Year approaches, it’s good to look back at just how much has been accomplished in the field of medicine, and wonder what the future holds. As is our tradition at this time of year, we are pleased to present HemaCare’s 10 most popular blogs of the year, and the advances in healthcare that they represent. Enjoy the countdown!

It’s getting cold out there! And while winter temperatures may have us yearning for a warm spot by the fireside, cold is a good thing for cell and gene therapies—in many cases, the colder the better. Logistics dictate that international shipping of cellular therapeutics often means freezing them first. Cryopreservation protects fragile cellular material from loss of viability or functionality during transit and storage, by halting chemical and biological degradation processes. To understand how important that is, it is worth noting that two of the hottest cell therapy drugs on the market this year (Yescarta® and Kymriah®) are both cryopreserved prior to infusion into the patient. But how cold does it really need to be to protect the efficacy of these cellular therapeutics? We decided to put that question into perspective.

An independent study cites the use of HemaCare-sourced human bone marrow-derived CD34+ stem cells for research into a potential new therapy for sickle cell disease. ^[1]

Sickle cell is a serious disease that affects millions of people throughout the world. People affected by sickle cell anemia have rigid, sickle-shaped red blood cells that can’t adequately carry oxygen to the body’s tissues. As a result, sickle cell patients suffer from a variety of medical complications, which can shorten their life span. Contemporary cell therapy treatments have focused on a gene therapy approach that uses lentiviral vectors to supply CD34+ bone marrow-derived stem cells with an unimpaired version of the hemoglobin gene. While this tactic has met with some promise, finding healthy, matched bone marrow donors is difficult. Researchers at Biogen, a well-known biotech firm headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are trying to discover cell and gene therapy methods that they hope will provide an alternative solution, and thereby improve treatment success rates.