New research published in the journal Blood describes how a hormone called erythropoietin may be useful for improving the success rate of cord blood transplants.

The research paper indicates that erythropoietin (EPO) may be able to improve the survival rate for leukaemia and lymphoma patients after receiving a cord blood transplant.  The hormone achieves this outcome by improving the “homing” ability of stem cells.

Homing refers to the ability of stem cells to make their way to the bone marrow after a cord blood transplant.  When stem cells migrate quickly into the bone marrow, they are more likely to survive and engraft with the marrow.

The research project was a small-scale human trial involving 15 patients.  The researchers artificially lowered the EPO levels of patients by giving them hyperbaric oxygen therapy before the transplant.  This therapy involves placing the patient into a chamber where they breath 100% oxygen.

The findings may be particularly useful for underrepresented minorities, who struggle to find a perfect bone marrow stem cell match for their transplant.  When a doctor cannot find a suitable bone marrow stem cell match for a person in a minority group, they turn to cord blood stem cells.  The main problem they face is that cord blood stem cells are slower at reaching the bone marrow.

By speeding up the stem cells from a cord blood transplant, transplant success rates will improve.

The researchers found that the treatment was safe and there were minimal side effects.  They also found that patients who received the treatment recovered their blood counts faster.  A larger cord blood transplant trial is already planned. 

Source: How oxygen therapy improves cord blood transplants

{{cta(‘010124f3-c9bc-4a23-b9fc-74953e6288c9’)}}