Scientists conducting a small clinical trial have revealed the importance of a hormone for making umbilical cord transplants successful.  The scientists discovered that a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) changes the likelihood of a stem cell transplant being successful for leukaemia and lymphoma patients.

Having lower EPO levels makes it easier for stem cells to migrate to the bone marrow after an umbilical cord transplant — a process called homing.  Once the blood-forming stem cells have reached the bone marrow, they can begin producing healthy blood cells.

The findings from this research may help scientists dramatically improve the speed that stem cells begin to help a leukaemia or lymphoma patient after they have received an umbilical cord transplant.

When a person has lymphoma or leukaemia, doctors usually treat it with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.  While these treatments are very effective at killing cancer cells in the bone marrow and blood stream, they also kill healthy blood cells and damage the bone marrow.  Doctors will give the patient a stem cell transplant to restore their body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.

Doctors often opt for an umbilical cord transplant, because cord blood is less likely to trigger an immune system response in the recipient compared to bone marrow stem cells.  It is also easier to find a suitable donor match when using umbilical cord blood, because the immune cells it contains are so young.

Umbilical cord blood is particularly useful for underrepresented minorities, who struggle to find a matching bone marrow stem cell donor.

The main problem with having an umbilical cord blood transplant is that it takes longer for the cells to move to the bone marrow.  That means more are lost during the journey.  By lowering EPO levels, researchers will speed up the process of homing and improve outcomes.

Source: Erythropoietin Important For Effective Umbilical Cord Blood Transplants

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