STEM CELL THERAPY: Update on Patients Treated with PLX cells for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) associated with COVID-19
On May 14, 2020, Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. published follow-up data on patients treated under their compassionate use program. These patients were all being treated for with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and in intensive care units requiring mechanical ventilation.
As of the publication date, 18 patients have been treated with PLX cells, allogeneic mesenchymal-like cells derived from human placentas after the delivery of full-term healthy babies. The patients treated include one patient in the United States. This patient received the treatment as part of the FDA Single P...
Source: Cord Blood News - May 28, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: maze_cordadmin Tags: stem cells Source Type: blogs
A Love Letter to Partners
I once taught a private childbirth education series to a couple in their home. The mom-to-be was excited and eager to learn about her progressing pregnancy, labor and birth, and the importance of postpartum support. Her husband, on the other hand, wasn’t engaged at all. He’d impatiently walk in and out of the room as if the conversation didn’t pertain to him. During the scant few moments he actually joined his wife on the couch, it was abundantly clear that his text messages were far more important to him than anything we were discussing.
At first, I thought that the subject matter might be freaking him out or tha...
Source: Cord Blood News - May 26, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Jennifer Dembo Tags: parents pregnancy Source Type: blogs
Pregnancy During Covid-19
I’m a certified childbirth education instructor. So, it will come as no surprise that I believe every expectant parent should take a childbirth education class.
While formally preparing for labor, birth and postpartum doesn’t guarantee a specific outcome or experience, it does provide a wealth of information. And when it comes to something as unpredictable as the birth process, knowledge is power. Pregnant women deserve a comprehensive understanding of their options. They need to know what awaits them at their birth location (be it home, birth center or hospital), what they can expect from their care team, and most imp...
Source: Cord Blood News - May 19, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: maze_cordadmin Tags: Cord Blood Education pregnancy Source Type: blogs
Banking Cord Tissue vs Cord Blood Alone
Something expecting parents should take time to consider is banking their child’s cord blood and cord tissue. Most people I talk to have never even heard about cord blood and tissue banking, so I like to try to raise awareness about what it really is and why it makes sense. It’s actually very simple and entirely non-invasive, so it’s stress free. After your child is delivered, and the umbilical cord is cut, the blood inside the umbilical cord is simply extracted, placed in a special container, and then frozen. This cord blood is stored in liquid nitrogen, and can remain frozen for an indefinite period of time until i...
Source: Cord Blood News - May 12, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Jonathan Rubinstein, Laboratory Technician, CPT Tags: Cord Blood Cord Tissue Source Type: blogs
Prolonged Sitting Counteracts Benefits of Exercise
Most people know that exercise is important for their health. Exercise has been shown to help with weight loss, improve mood, build and maintain strong bones and muscles, increase energy, and decrease the risk of chronic disease. As a result, many of us make it a point to get to the gym or engage in a physical activity to help improve our health.
Unfortunately, a new study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that sitting for prolonged periods of time decreased the metabolic benefits usually seen by exercising for an hour a day. The study looked at the body’s response to glucose, triglycerides and insulin...
Source: Cord Blood News - April 28, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: Health Source Type: blogs
COVID-19: My family ’s experience
On Sunday March 15, my younger sister called me crying. She had temperature of 101OF and a blinding headache, but it was an important day at her job, and she knew her supervisor really needed her help. “Stay home,” I said. “Tell him you’re sick, he’ll understand. Even if there wasn’t an emerging global pandemic, you’re legitimately sick. He’s understanding, this won’t affect your job at all. And call your doctor if the fever sticks around… If it was COVID-19, I would tell you just stay home, but it doesn’t sound like it, maybe you have something bacterial.” The next morning, things were about the sa...
Source: Cord Blood News - April 16, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: maze_cordadmin Tags: Health Source Type: blogs
It ’s Not Just Carbs in Our Cereal
As most people know, there are chemicals and pesticides in our environment and in the food we eat. There is an ongoing debate about the safety of many of these chemicals and what is an acceptable level for human consumption. One pesticide that has been heavily researched is glyphosphate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer.
The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment, has set limits to the amount of glyphosphate it feels is acceptable to ingest, especially for children because of its links to cancer. The EWG just released a report...
Source: Cord Blood News - April 14, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: Health Source Type: blogs
Stem Cells: Placental Derived Cells Used in Multinational Clinical Trial for the Treatment of severe COVID-19
On Saturday, April 11th, Holy Name Hospital of Bergen County, NJ, administered PLX cells to a 49-year-old male who has been in their ICU since March 20th. PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells are mesenchymal-like adherent stromal cells derived from the placenta after delivery and were being studied for their therapeutic uses in several disease processes. This is believed to be the first time this treatment has been attempted in the United States for the treatment of COVID-19. Holy Name is already a location for a Pluristem clinical trial involving the use of PLX cells for the treatment of chronic vascular insufficiency, resultin...
Source: Cord Blood News - April 13, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Chaya Rothschild, Andrologist Tags: stem cells Source Type: blogs
Clinical Trial Using Stem Cells to Treat COVID-19
Stem cells are undifferentiated “blueprint” cells that are being studied in the repair of damaged tissue from a wide range of diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a type of stem cells that can be found in umbilical cord tissue. They have also been isolated in minute quantities from adult bone marrow. These stem cells are self-renewing – a small quantity of these cells obtained from cord blood can be used to generate more MSCs in a lab and used to make vast quantities of therapeutic agent. MSCs are also multipotent- they are capable of differentiating into many different cell types, and therefore have vast ...
Source: Cord Blood News - April 9, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: maze_cordadmin Tags: stem cells Source Type: blogs
Don ’ t Overlook Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin with many roles in the body related to bone health, immune support, and inflammation reduction. Some studies show it may have a role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and with sexual function. Vitamin D is now routinely tested with blood workups, and about 50% of the population has been shown to have vitamin D insufficiency with levels less than 30ng/dl. There are many possible signs and symptoms that can be associated with low vitamin D levels, including getting sick often, feeling tired, having lower back pain or bone pain, having muscle pain, experiencing hair loss, or feelin...
Source: Cord Blood News - March 31, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: Health Source Type: blogs
Can Breastfeeding Delay Early Menopause?
February is American Heart Month, and the Go Red for Women campaign raises awareness for women’s heart disease. Most people unfortunately still think of heart disease as a men’s health issue, but the truth is that more women die from cardiovascular disease (CVD) than men! In that spirit, I would like to make mention of a well-done study just out in JAMA which points to a significant risk factor for heart disease in women – menopause.
Research has shown that premature menopause (before the age of 45) has been linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease and premature death in women. In fact, some studies show tha...
Source: Cord Blood News - February 18, 2020 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: maze_cordadmin Tags: medical research parents Source Type: blogs
Should I Circumcise My Baby?
Whether or not to circumcise your baby is a personal decision often determined by a variety of social, cultural, medical, or religious circumstances. Parents have the right to choose what they believe is best for their newborn and typically undergo extensive research before deciding what’s best for their family.
So, what is the process of circumcision? Once parents decide to move forward, about an hour before the procedure, doctors use an anesthetic to numb the baby’s penis. The area is then sterilized and the excess skin on the penis is clamped and cut. Finally, the physician covers the penis in bandages or gauze to e...
Source: Cord Blood News - October 22, 2019 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: babies pregnancy Source Type: blogs
Breastfeeding vs Bottle Feeding: It ’s your choice
Pregnant women can be overwhelmed with questions about what motherhood will be like. And often one of the top concerns is deciding whether to breastfeed or bottle feed. What makes the experience special is that moms can choose how to feed her babies based on what feels best for her body and her baby.
Most babies are able on to latch to mom’s breast for feeding shortly after birth. Once placed on mom’s chest for some skin-to-skin time, they wiggle themselves over to mom’s breast where they’ll latch on to begin their first feeding.
While some moms experience the ease of the baby doing all the work to breastfeed, some...
Source: Cord Blood News - October 8, 2019 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: babies Source Type: blogs
Who ’ s in the delivery room with you?
When I was born, there was no choice: dads were outside of the delivery room with cigars and dimes for the pay phone (ok, so I’m old…). When my children were born, of course, my husband was there the whole time (ok, not that helpful but there..)
Now, the question is: Who should be in the delivery room? There is a lot of conversation about the whole extended family attending the blessed event, and it sounds so lovely until I visualize myself in “that position” with my second cousin twice removed as a witness. Seriously, the discussions really surround the decision to let one or two other close rela...
Source: Cord Blood News - September 24, 2019 Category: Perinatology & Neonatology Authors: Maze Cord Blood Tags: babies parents pregnancy Source Type: blogs
