A leading world expert on adult stem cell research launches The Adult Stem-cell Foundation of Ireland in Dublin today.

Professor Colin McGuckin who is a director of the new foundation, is the Vatican’s advisor on stem cells. He is also a director of The Cell Therapy Research Institute in Lyon, France

Speaking at the launch, Professor McGuckin said: “Like all countries in Europe, Ireland must look to the future to protect the population and be ready for new treatments. We cannot simply look back and say, ‘I wish we had prepared for that’. In my career, I worked with children who would be alive today, if more stem cell banks had been available.”

The foundation has been set up to provide awareness and information about adult stem cells,  research, development and therapies; to support people in need of or undergoing stem cell therapy; and to support the development of an all-Ireland stem-cell bank and to support adult stem-cell research and development.

On the issue of umbilical cord blood collection, Professor McGuckin added: “Umbilical cord blood, with 130 million births per year, remains the most available stem cell source. The health of Irish citizens demands that we debate now what we can do and umbilical cord blood and adult stem cells must be part of that debate”.

Professor McGuckin believes that Ireland must fund adult stem cell research and be ready to understand the socio-economic issues surrounding cellular therapy, stem cell banking, facilities provision, law and the relevant medical technology.

Adult stem cells are found in bone marrow, peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood, skeletal muscle, skin and teeth. They have been used to successfully treat leukaemia and related blood cancers for many years.

Umbilical cord blood and bone marrow treatments have seen the highest success rate to date. These critical adult stem cells can treat leukaemia, lymphoma, sickle cell disease, thalassaemia and immune deficiencies.

Over 70 diseases are treatable with cord blood and over 15 clinical trials are under way for new conditions. Although most treatments are for third parties (“allogeneic”), cord blood can treat the same person (“autologous”) – which is essential for regenerative medicine.

Professor McGuckin’s research group was the first to identify a rare group of cells with similar characteristics to embryonic stem cells and to develop them into non-blood tissues such as the liver, brain and pancreas. His latest clinical trial includes the use of a child’s own cord blood for the treatment of severe neonatal hypoxia, which may lead to cerebral palsy.

He is also developing a treatment for children with congenital bone malformations such as Cleft Palate, using the child’s own mesenchymal stem cells to make bone implants.

For further information http://www.asfi.ie