CBR Research & Innovation

CBR has been committed to Scientific Research since our inception and we are excited by the many developments in stem cell therapies in recent years. CBR, along with our Scientific Director, Dr. David Harris, has published one of the largest bodies of information regarding cord blood stem cell processing and cryo-preservation. Dr. Harris, a Professor of Immunology at the University of Arizona was the first person in the world to save cord blood for use by the family. His recognition of the value of “family banking” was a cornerstone that helped launch the industry that now preserves hundreds of thousands of cord blood samples for families throughout the world.

Dr. Harris continues to build his legacy as CBR is the pioneer in advancing the science of the Cord Blood Banking process. Our recent collaboration with GE Healthcare and Thermogenesis to develop the AXP processing system, the first and only fully automated closed processing system that is validated to process all family banked samples, is another example of CBR’s commitment to bringing tomorrow’s science today.

Our presence in advancing the science in regenerative medicine is recognized across some of the top academic centers in the world. Our clinical development strategy is as collaborator and partner to the Biotech industry and academic medicine. As the largest Cord Blood Bank in the world, these centers reach out to us to help them push the science forward. We provide our clients access to participate in the most significant landmark trials in regenerative medicine that are investigating treatments to diseases like Type 1 diabetes and Cerebral Palsy.

This collaborative approach is a choice we have made. We forgo the need to burden our company with the financial risks resulting from the failed clinical research normally associated with traditional biotech and “R&D” focused companies. One of our competitors main thrust is their focus on “doing” research. They have lost over $190mm and do not have a single program in full clinical development. Our commitment is to ensuring that we advance the science while being financially strong so that you know that your child’s stem cells are safe and secure for a long time to come.

Focus on Collection, Processing and Storage-CBR’s CellAdvantage® technology

Research in Stem Cell Recovery and Preservation

Dr. Harris first published cord blood stem cell collection, processing and cryopreservation data in 1994 and along with CBR, has continued to be the most published family bank in the industry. Our collection and processing methodologies have been demonstrated effective and proven through over 210,000 collections. Our proprietary CellAdvantage® technology has evolved from more than a decade of research and quality improvements, providing the “Best in Industry”. Our CellAdvantage system features proprietary lyophilized anticoagulant, which helps ensure accurate assessment of collection volume and reduces dilution of the cells in lower collection volumes, and the most advanced automated cell processing technology call AutoExpress Platform(SM) or AXP. AXP is exclusively supplied by GE Healthcare (SM). NYBC the largest public bank in the world has also moved to the AXP system after evaluating all other potential technologies for processing.



Reference: DT Harris, MJ Schumacher, S Rychlik, et al. Collection, separation and cryopreservation of umbilical cord blood for use in transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplantation. 1994;13: 135-143. Harris, D.T. Cord Blood Banking : The University of Arizona Experience : Successes, Problems and Cautions. Cancer Res Ther Control. 1998;7:63-67. Harris, DT. Collection, Processing and Banking of Umbilical Cord Blood. ACOG Symposium, Fertility Research Foundation publication, May 2002. Harris, DT. Collection, Processing and Banking of Umbilical Cord Blood for Clinical Use. J Bellevue Obstetrical and Gynecological Society. 2002;18:13-21. Harris, D.T. and S. Goldman. Cord blood banking: state of the science. Contemp OB/GYN. 2003;48(7):4-11. DT Harris, A McGaffey, J. Gorton, ME Mapother, and H Brown; Cord Blood Registry, A Comparison of Contamination Rates Associated with Open versus Closed Methods of Processing for Cord Blood Banking, AABB Meeting, Oct 21-24, 2006, Miami, FL.

Research in Regenerative Medicine-The power of your own cord blood stem cells

Type I Diabetes

Research conducted at the University of Florida indicated the potential for the use of cord blood stem cells to regenerate insulin production in Type I Diabetes patients. In 2006, CBR inquired with our client population about incidence of Type I Diabetes and a number of cases were reported. These children are now pioneers in helping to develop effective therapies for Type I Diabetes using one’s own stem cells. This option is only available to these children because their parents made the decision to preserve their cord blood. We continue to advance our collaboration with the University of Florida.



Reference: Haller MJ, Viener HL, Brusko T, et al. Insulin Requirements, HbA1c, and Stimulated C-peptide following Autologous Umbilical Cord Blood Transfusion in Children with T1D. Abstract presented at: Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association, Scientific Sessions; June 22-26, 2007 Chicago, IL.

Corneal Regeneration

Vision loss can occur when corneal epithelial cells are lost or are not replaced quickly enough. In data presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, Dr. David Harris demonstrated that cord blood stem cells can differentiate into these cells and form a cell sheet that is morphologically indistinguishable from corneal epithelial cells. When transplanted in animals, cord blood stem cells improved the appearance of the corneal surface. These results suggest that cord blood could provide a future therapeutic option for individuals with disorders of the ocular surface.



Reference: Harris DT, He X, Ahmad N, et al. The potential of cord blood stem cells for tissue engineering. Poster presented at: International Society for Stem Cell Research. June 2005; San Francisco, CA. Harris, D.T., X. He, M. Badowski and JC Nichols. Regenerative Medicine of the Eye: A Short Review. In Press, Regen. Med. May 2006 Harris DT, He X, Badowski M, Nicols JC. Regenerative Medicine of the Eye: A Short Review. Stem Cell Repair & Regeneration, Vol. 3, Levicar N, Habib NA, Dimarakis I, Gordon MY (Ed.s), Imperial College Press (2007), In press.

Cardiac Cell Regeneration

In a 2005 meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, Dr. Harris presented data that showed, in an animal model of heart attack, intracoronary delivery of cord blood stem cells increased the vascular density in the heart compared to control, untreated animals. The results suggest that cord blood stem cells could improve outcomes in human patients following heart attack.



Reference: Harris DT, He X, Ahmad N, et al. The potential of cord blood stem cells for tissue engineering. Poster presented at: International Society for Stem Cell Research. June 2005; San Francisco, CA. Sunkomat, JNE, S Goldman, DT Harris and MA Gaballa. Cord blood-derived MNCs delivered intracoronary contribute differently to vascularization compared to CD34+ cells in the rat model of acute ischemia. Submitted, Stem Cells, 2006. Harris, DT, H He and M Gaballa. The potential of cord blood stem cells for use in regenerative medicine of the heart. 2nd International Stem Cells Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 22-24 Jan 2007.

Neural Regeneration

Along with leading medical centers like Duke University and the University of Texas, CBR has participated in groundbreaking clinical research to utilize cord blood stem cells to improve outcome after brain injury. Circumstances of treatment include Anoxic Brain Injury at birth, Cerebral Palsy, and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Regenerative Therapies Worldwide

CBR collects donated cord blood samples for use in lab personnel training, quality control and research. We make these donated samples available, at no cost, to the academic and scientific institutions world wide that are focused on the development of therapies using cord blood stem cells. Our “global” approach to cord blood Research and Development helps to ensure that the best technology will continually be developed throughout the world and made available to CBR clients.

Cancer Research

CBR collaborated with Dr. Akita Shibata of Stanford University to utilize cord blood units and familial history profiles to isolate determinants of genetic predisposition for Breast Cancer, one of the leading causes of death in the female population. This research provides insight for clinicians to plan strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of this common health threat.



Reference: Shibata A, Harris DT, Billings PR. Concentrations of estrogens and IGFs in umbilical cord blood plasma: A comparison among Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian-American Females. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2002;87(2):810-815.