UM171 expansion improves the curative attributes of bone marrow stem cell grafts

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the parent cells that give rise to all of the different kinds of cells present in blood. Any problems or abnormalities in the different types of blood cells can lead to different type of blood related diseases corresponding to the specific type of cell. Usually, blood cancers also known as leukemias are caused because of the abnormalities. One of the methods of treatment for these leukemias is substituting the diseased cells with the healthy parent cells i.e., HSCs. This process is known as transplantation. HSCs are found majorly in the bone marrow which is the soft fatty layer between the bones. Extracting these cells from the marrow is an intensive process. Our group has previously worked on HSCs that have been grown in dishes from umbilical cord using a chemical called UM171 that has shown to be advantageous on increasing their number without affecting them. This exercise was also done successful and transplanted to patients with leukemia which shows its effectiveness. This project focuses on using a similar approach with a small number of cells taken from the bone marrow and grown in the laboratory for transplantation purposes.

Faculty Supervisor:

Guy Sauvageau;Claude Perreault

Student:

Partner:

ExCellThera

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: