Dr. Delaney [Damon Runyon-Novartis Clinical Investigator] focuses on improving on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  The use of umbilical cord blood for transplantation is an attractive alternative for cancer patients who cannot identify a suitable adult donor such as minority patients or patients of mixed ethnicity.  However, umbilical cord blood has fewer stem cells, decreasing the likelihood of a successful transplant.   She has developed novel methods for increasing the concentration of stem cells in cord blood.  Her mouse studies and early patient trials show encouraging results and she plans to move this technique into larger clinical trials.

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Project Title: "Notch-mediated ex vivo expansion of cord blood progenitors for hematopoietic cell transplantation"

Institution: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Irwin Bernstein, MD & Frederick Appelbaum, MD

Cancer Type: Leukemias

Research Area: Stem Cell Biology