Cordlife Supports Clinical Trials With Donated Umbilical Cords & MSC Banking Service In Philippines — Cordlife Group Limited

Cordlife to support Makati Medical Center’s Center for Regenerative Medicine with the provision of donated cord tissue for local clinical trials and the storage of expanded mesenchymal stem cells.

 

 

YISHUN, SingaporeSept. 21, 2020PRLog — Cordlife Group Limited (“Cordlife”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) today announced their full support for the Center for Regenerative Medicine of Makati Medical Center (“MMC-CRM” or the “Center”) with the provision of donated cords and the launch of Mesenchymal Stem Cell (“MSC”) Banking Service in the Philippines through its subsidiary Cordlife Medical Phils Inc. (“Cordlife Philippines” or the “Company”).

MMC-CRM is accredited by the Philippines’ Department of Health as a facility allowed to engage in human stem cell or cellular therapy. The Center has implemented a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord tissue derived MSCs for diabetic foot ulceration. Funded by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (“PCHRD-DOST”), the trial aims to investigate whether MSCs can speed up the healing of foot wounds among diabetic patients and stimulate skin regeneration and development of new blood vessels. MMC-CRM has also proposed another trial with umbilical cord tissue derived MSCs for COVID-19, which is pending approval from PCHRD-DOST.

Over the years, advances in stem cell research have led to the development of cellular therapies, which brings great promise to support a wide range of conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury and autism. MSCs are extensively studied because of their therapeutic potential in regenerative medicine, owing to their unique ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types.

According to MMC-CRM, previous research conducted using MSCs on diabetic foot ulcers showed a higher rate of healing compared to regular treatment achieving approximately 70 to 80 percent wound closure at 3 to 4 months after treatment. Furthermore, these studies demonstrated significant improvements in limb blood flow by the generation of new blood vessels, pain-free walking, skin sensation and ankle-brachial index.

Primarily found in our bone marrow, MSCs remain in a dormant state until they are needed to promote healing within the body. Although MSCs can be isolated from various sources such as bone marrow and adipose tissue, their effectiveness and numbers decline as we age. MSCs derived from cord tissue are some of the youngest and most primitive MSCs that can be obtained safely and painlessly. Younger cells tend to replicate at a faster rate and have higher potency, which makes cord tissue MSCs amongst the most capable cells available.

To support MMC-CRM’s research efforts, Cordlife Philippines will provide donated umbilical cords for the trials. At the same time, Cordlife Philippines will also launch a banking service for the storage of MSCs derived from umbilical cord tissue. Cordlife Philippines is the first and only cord blood bank in the country to provide MSC banking service.

Usually discarded as medical waste, Cordlife will collect the umbilical cord following the birth of a baby. Upon collection, the Company will work with MMC-CRM to isolate and expand MSCs from the umbilical cord. The expanded cells will be stored at the Cordlife Philippines’ cryogenic storage facility located at Ayala Land. Once frozen at -196oC in the liquid nitrogen tank, the cells are stored in a stable state and can be retrieved whenever they are needed for cellular therapies.

Ms Tan Poh Lan, Group Chief Executive Officer of Cordlife said, “We are honoured to be a part of MMC-CRM’s groundbreaking research efforts to advancing healthcare in the Philippines. We are fully committed to supporting them in the building of a holistic ecosystem to advance stem cell research and develop cellular therapies.”

“The umbilical cord is a great source of MSCs. MMC-CRM has been fortunate to be awarded with a scientific research grant by DOST-PCHRD on the use of umbilical cord MSCs for diabetic foot ulcer. This is proof that the Philippine government is interested in the potential of MSC treatments,” said Dr Jose Maria Co Avila, Director of MMC-CRM and Chairman of Department of Pathology and Laboratories, Makati Medical Centre.

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About Cordlife Group Limited
Established in May 2001, Cordlife Group Limited (“Cordlife”, together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”) is a leading company dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of mother and child. The Group is listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange in 2012 and a pioneer in private cord blood banking in Asia. For more information, visit http://cordlife.listedcompany.com

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