21 infused with new UM stem cell

Written by Lidia Dinkova on September 17, 2014

A partnership between University of Miami researchers and a Georgia-based biomedical company this month made a new type of stem cell commercially available for bone regeneration and healing.

The marrow-isolated adult multi-lineage inducible cell, known as the MIAMI cell, is the result of 15 years of research by the University of Miami.

Since the stem cell was made commercially available, about 21 patients have been treated with a MIAMI cell infusion.

We are controlling the release to make sure it goes very smoothly, said Tracy S. Anderson, president and CEO of Vivex Biomedical Inc.

Vivex invested in the research and development of the cell and licensed the technology from UM for orthopedic use. The company has contracted with the universitys tissue bank to develop the cell for commercial use and pays an undisclosed royalty back to UM from sales.

Before the MIAMI cell goes to full national release in January 2015, Vivex is controlling the use of the cell.

I am going very slowly and selectively with the surgeons we are working with, Mr. Anderson said. Anytime you have a new product like this, you have to make sure that it goes smoothly.

Mr. Anderson didnt want to disclose revenue generated from the sale of the MIAMI cell, only saying that it has been significant.

So far, the MIAMI cell has been used in bone regeneration and healing in Utah, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

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21 infused with new UM stem cell

Cord blood donor found for Quebec woman battling leukemia for second time

MONTREALDoctors say they have found an umbilical cord for a Quebec woman who is battling leukemia for a second time.

Mai Duong recently made a desperate online plea for a compatible stem cell donor.

Duong and doctors told a news conference in Montreal on Tuesday the umbilical cord came from a woman who gave birth and decided to donate it.

A donor was found after a global search was undertaken to find either a bone marrow or cord blood stem for a transplant.

A tearful Duong said she will now spend the next six to eight weeks in treatment.

But the 34-year-old Vietnamese-Canadian, who has a 4-year-old daughter, adds she still has to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment before the transplant.

Duong successfully fought off acute leukemia in 2013 with chemotherapy. She had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo the treatment.

Duong was in remission until a blood test revealed leukemia had returned this past May. Finding the right person was a challenge especially for those who are from a non-Caucasian background.

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Cord blood donor found for Quebec woman battling leukemia for second time

Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds cord blood donor

A Quebec womans desperate, months-long search for a compatible stem cell or umbilical cord match is over.

Mai Duong, a 34-year-old Vietnamese-Canadian battling acute leukemia, announced Tuesday that she has finally found a match.

"I'm going to have the transplant and hopefully everything will go well and hopefully I'll have a new marrow," Duong tearfully told reporters Tuesday. "I just hope I'm going to beat cancer once and for all."

"A woman gave birth to her child and has donated her baby's umbilical cord to save another life," reads a post on the Save Mai Duong Facebook page. "Thank you dear mommy, we cannot fathom the importance of your gesture. I am very moved."

Duong beat cancer last year, after chemotherapy that she had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo.

She was in remission until May, when blood tests revealed the leukemia had returned.

"Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy and unfortunately I'm in the 30 per cent," she said at the time.

Doctors said Duong would need a bone marrow transplant or cord blood stem cells and she needed it fast. Despite being on the international list, doctors struggled to find a match.

Duong said, for people who aren't Caucasian, finding the right donor can be like searching for a needle-in-a-haystack.

"Less than one per cent of the 25 million donors worldwide are Vietnamese," she wrote on her website. "All ethnic communities are severely under-represented in the world donor bank, making finding a compatible donor very difficult for me and countless others who are currently waiting for a transplant."

Read this article:
Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds cord blood donor

Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds blood cord donor

A Quebec womans desperate, months-long search for a compatible stem cell or umbilical cord match is over.

Mai Duong, a 34-year-old Vietnamese-Canadian battling acute leukemia, announced Tuesday that she has finally found a match.

"I'm going to have the transplant and hopefully everything will go well and hopefully I'll have a new marrow," Duong tearfully told reporters Tuesday. "I just hope I'm going to beat cancer once and for all."

"A woman gave birth to her child and has donated her baby's umbilical cord to save another life," reads a post on the Save Mai Duong Facebook page. "Thank you dear mommy, we cannot fathom the importance of your gesture. I am very moved."

Duong beat cancer last year, after chemotherapy that she had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo.

She was in remission until May, when blood tests revealed the leukemia had returned.

"Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy and unfortunately I'm in the 30 per cent," she said at the time.

Doctors said Duong would need a bone marrow transplant or cord blood stem cells and she needed it fast. Despite being on the international list, doctors struggled to find a match.

Duong said, for people who aren't Caucasian, finding the right donor can be like searching for a needle-in-a-haystack.

"Less than one per cent of the 25 million donors worldwide are Vietnamese," she wrote on her website. "All ethnic communities are severely under-represented in the world donor bank, making finding a compatible donor very difficult for me and countless others who are currently waiting for a transplant."

Excerpt from:
Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds blood cord donor

Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds stem cell donor

A Quebec womans desperate, months-long search for a compatible stem cell or umbilical cord match is over.

Mai Duong, a 34-year-old Vietnamese-Canadian battling acute leukemia, announced Tuesday that she has finally found a match.

"I'm going to have the transplant and hopefully everything will go well and hopefully I'll have a new marrow," Duong tearfully told reporters Tuesday. "I just hope I'm going to beat cancer once and for all."

"A woman gave birth to her child and has donated her baby's umbilical cord to save another life," reads a post on the Save Mai Duong Facebook page. "Thank you dear mommy, we cannot fathom the importance of your gesture. I am very moved."

Duong beat cancer last year, after chemotherapy that she had to terminate a 15-week pregnancy to undergo.

She was in remission until May, when blood tests revealed the leukemia had returned.

"Seventy per cent of people who had that type of leukemia were just cured with chemotherapy and unfortunately I'm in the 30 per cent," she said at the time.

Doctors said Duong would need a bone marrow transplant or cord blood stem cells and she needed it fast. Despite being on the international list, doctors struggled to find a match.

Duong said, for people who aren't Caucasian, finding the right donor can be like searching for a needle-in-a-haystack.

"Less than one per cent of the 25 million donors worldwide are Vietnamese," she wrote on her website. "All ethnic communities are severely under-represented in the world donor bank, making finding a compatible donor very difficult for me and countless others who are currently waiting for a transplant."

Excerpt from:
Quebec leukemia patient Mai Duong finds stem cell donor