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Here at the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for HLHS we are excited to announce that we are now able to collect, process, and store umbilical cord blood (UCB) from HLHS babies to be potentially used for clinical trials in the future.
After a baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, the leftover blood that remains in the blood vessels of the placenta and in the portion of the umbilical cord attached to it is known as UCB. The blood from a newborn’s umbilical cord must be collected immediately after delivery and can be preserved privately, donated for public use, or preserved for a specific purpose, depending on a family’s wishes.
Our program has a clinical trial aimed at strengthening the heart using autologous stem cells, or stem cells collected from an individual’s own body. Once the UCB cells have been collected, they are processed and can then be injected back into the body during the Glenn procedure. To learn more about the clinical trial, watch the video below or contact us at HLHS@mayo.edu.
The Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a collaborative network of specialists bonded by the vision of delaying or preventing heart failure for individuals affected by congenital heart defects including HLHS. The specialized team is addressing the various aspects of these defects by using research and clinical strategies ranging from basic science to diagnostic imaging to regenerative therapies. Contact the program at HLHS@mayo.edu.
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If I have saved my sons cord blood with another company is they anyway to be able to transfer it ?
Great question @slocano. At this time, the study we have open requires the umbilical cord blood to be processed in a specific manner to create highly concentrated stem cells so the option of transferring it would not be possible. That being said, there’s always the possibility that this could change in the future. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email us at HLHS@mayo.edu. Thanks!
My son is 9 years old with HLHS, he was born with Critical Airtic Stenosis and we did save his cord blood at birth and would love more information on the subject.
Hi, @christinekelly. This current study requires the umbilical cord blood to be processed in a specific manner to create highly concentrated stem cells so the option of transferring it would not be possible. That being said, there’s always the possibility that this could change in the future. Please don't hesitate to email us at HLHS@mayo.edu if you'd like to discuss this in more detail. Thanks!