Cryo-Save Group N.V. (Euronext: CRYO, ‘Cryo-Save’, or ‘the Group’), of Zutphen, The Netherlands, Europe’s leading adult stem cell storage bank, today with joy announces the successful treatment of a potentially fatal disease with adult stem cells stored by Cryo-Save.

Alba, a girl from Cadiz in Spain, has recovered from Medulloblastoma, a highly malignant brain tumor after being treated with stem cells from her umbilical cord, which were cryopreserved by Cryo-Save in Niel, Belgium. After surgery and chemotherapy a stem cell transplantation fully rebuilt her immune system. The now four year old girl was treated in the Niño Jesús Hospital in Madrid starting at the age of two. At present she has been declared completely cured and lives a normal life.

Arnoud van Tulder, Cryo-Save’s CEO reacts alated on the news.
“I am delighted to hear that Alba has been fully cured and very proud that Cryo-Save was able to participate in her healing process. This is exactly the reason we offer parents the service of storage of their newborns’ stem cells.”
“This also confirms that cord blood contains excellent stem cells. These cord blood cells are the youngest in the human body, and therefore have a greater potential for medical applications. Recent studies confirm the exponential increase in the use of these stem cells throughout the world. Results obtained in applications for umbilical cord blood stem cells are encouraging in treatments for many diseases, including leukemia, lymphomas, and inborn errors of bone marrow.”
“This successful treatment shows our commitment to the well being of our customers and underpins the usefulness of storing your own stem cells, as well as the quality of Cryo-Save’s processing and storage procedures.”

Dr. Luis Madero, head of the Department of Oncology of The madrid Hospital Niño Jesus, was responsible for the treatment of Alba and her subsequent monitoring.
“This is a unique case in Spain. The use of stem cells to regenerate the blood system is a very long treatment for this type of cancer. What makes this case unique is that, for the first time in our country stem cells used for the treatment came from the baby’s umbilical cord blood. In recent years, transplantation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood saw substantial growth. Particularly in the case of siblings, these stem cells are the best treatment option” says Dr. Madero.

Alba’s disease and treatment
When Alba was born in 2007, her parents decided to store stem cells from her umbilical cord blood with Cryo-Save. Two years later Alba was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a very rare highly malignant primary tumor in the central nervous system.

The healing process for medulloblastoma began with surgery to remove most of the brain tumor. Following this surgery, Alba was treated with chemotherapy to reduce the residual tumor, and eliminate the remaining cancer cells. Chemotherapy though not only destroys cancer cells, but also the patiënt’s blood and immune system. That is why Alba’s immune system needed to be rebuilt with a stem cell transplant.

The transplant was performed using stem cells from Alba’s umbilical cord, which were released by Cryo-Save’s main storage facility in Belgium to the treating physician of the Madrid hospital. After the transplant, the stem cells migrated to the bone marrow, where they start producing white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, thus starting the regeneration of the blood system. Then, after 60 days from transplanting, new stem cells were transplanted, this time from the peripheral blood of Alba in order to accelerate the platelet system. Fourteen months after transplantation, the child had completely rebuilt her blood system and started to enjoy a normal life, despite the necessary periodic medical checks.

Press Release

Enquiries:

Cryo-Save Group                                                      +31 (0) 575 548 998
Arnoud van Tulder, Chief Executive Officer

SPJ Financiële Communicatie (The Netherlands)    +31 (0)20 647 8181
Kees Jongsma/Leon Melens

Daniel Stewart & Company plc (UK)                        +44 (0) 20 7776 6550
Christopher Theis

College Hill (UK)                                                       +44 (0) 20 7457 2020
Rozi Morris/ Adrian Duffield

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VILVOORDE – 9 year old Nico Verdoodt owes his life to his own umbilical cord. At his birth, his mother decided to freeze blood from his umbilical cord to help other people. Years later, it emerges that her own son suffers from a rare and life-threatening blood disease. After a thorough search the sample was retrieved and the treatment a success.

“In July last year, Nico became ill,” says his mother, Catherine Boeykens from Vilvoorde. “Flu symptoms didn’t raise any alarm bells. As Nico was still feeling lifeless after two weeks, we consulted a doctor. His diagnosis: gastritis or gastroenteritis. A few days later, Nico’s eyes took on a yellow shine. Our GP immediately referred us to A&E.”

Nico was kept in for observation but tests didn’t reveal anything. During the next three months, further tests were carried out, until, at the end of October, the harsh verdict fell: Nico was suffering from the life-threatening blood disease aplastic anaemia. This is a rare type of anaemia where your own stem cells attack bone marrow. This hit the entire family hard.

Treatment of aplastic anaemia depends on the severity of the disease. In Nico Verdoodt’s case, a bone marrow transplant was chosen. Stem cells can come from the bone marrow of a healthy donor, or from Nico himself, as healthy stem cells can be selected from his own bone marrow. A third option is the treatment of stem cells from the blood from the umbilical cord, a preferred option with children.

Blood bank
“At his birth in Bonheiden, doctors had asked me if I wanted to donate the blood from the umbilical cord for research,” said Nico’s mother. “I remember telling my husband that I hoped we would never need it ourselves. Thank goodness we decided to donate.”

Doctors went on a search for the blood and retrieved it from the umbilical cord blood bank at the university hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven. The blood, which naturally also contained Nico’s stem cells, had been stored at -196 degrees Celsius and had to be injected within five minutes of defrosting.

Quarantine room
After the transplant which took place on 3 November last year the boy had to stay in a quarantine room for twenty five days. “Since then, all has been well,” says his mother. “Although the treatment was successful and new blood cells are being produced, we remain cautious. Whether donor cells are used or blood from the umbilical cord: a transplant remains a risky treatment.”

The organisation of the household has changed radically over the last few months. “All of Nico’s food must be bacteria free. This means only fresh food, no tap water, regular mouth rinsing and many other things. As soon as we get home, we take our shoes off and wash our hands,” says Boeykens.

“We cancelled our skiing holiday. Nico would have had to stay in a hotel and we have to avoid crowded areas. We are also keeping away from family parties for now, though Nico is allowed to go for a bike ride or a walk every now and again.

He has also started to play table tennis again and thanks to Bednet, a webcam and a scanner, he attends his school lessons at home. One hour per day, he receives extra tuition from his teacher Julie.

“Given the rarity of the disease, treatment doesn’t come cheap. We are therefore extremely pleased with the initiative that his school Klim-Op has taken to organise a sponsored run next week,” says his mother. “We will be living in fear for a while but when we see how well Nico is coping, it brings hope that everything will be fine.”

Pediatricians and hematologists from leading American institutions recently published a paper aimed at revisiting the controversy surrounding private storage of stem cells. They look at the question from scientific, moral and ethical perspectives. Their conclusion is that “For many families private banking could be a rational, albeit expensive, option as a safeguard against future malignancies or for future development in the sciences of cell therapeutics”. These researchers also believe that the public sector can benefit from the private sector’ strengths.

Source: WileyOnlineLibrary