Samples in Cord Blood Bank Increasing

More than 3,170 samples of umbilical cord blood cells have been stored at the umbilical cord blood bank of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization, according to an official at the IBTO.

Stating that currently there are three umbilical blood cord banks in Iran (all of which are in Tehran), Mahin Nikou Goftar, head of the stem cell bank said, “The global cord blood banking industry was born 27 years ago,” IRNA reported.

The public blood banks are located at the IBTO, Royan Institute and Shariati Hospital.

She said the bank at IBTO was founded in 2010. “So far, 13 transplants have been performed and the results have been encouraging.”

Royan Institute has also performed 20 successful stem cells transplants.

“In cooperation with Shariati Hospital, Children’s Medical Center (affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences), Mofid Hospital and Mahak Hospital in Tehran we offer stem cell transplant services to patients,” she said.

According to Nikou Goftar, the increasing number of samples in umbilical cord blood banks highlight the growing public awareness about the importance of storing stem cells.

“In several hospitals there are teams tasked with collecting donated cord blood after the safe birth of babies,” she said, emphasizing the need for expanding the teams across the country.

Usually thrown away as clinical waste, umbilical cord blood can be used in lifesaving stem cell transplants for patients with blood cancers like Leukemia.

 Treating Cerebral Palsy With UCB Stem Cells

The biggest national project to treat patients with cerebral palsy through injection of stem cells from umbilical cord blood into the brain began its trial in March 2017.

The project is jointly undertaken by Royan Institute, Children’s Medical Center, and the IBTO.

In the first phase, it provides treatment to 130 children with CP between the ages 5-13. The treatment was tested in September 2016 on children with CP in some hospitals, and the results were highly satisfactory.

Approximately four in every 1,000 children in Iran have CP while in the developed countries the rate is 2 to 2.5 per 1000 live births.

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term for the effects of damage to a developing brain by various causes. It is connected with a range of symptoms, including muscle weakness and movement problems. The damage to the brain usually occurs early on in its development, either in the baby during pregnancy or during the period soon after birth.