| Grant ID | RP100430 |
| Awarded On | January 20, 2010 |
| Title | Cord Blood Natural Killer Cells for Patients with Cancer |
| Program | Academic Research |
| Award Mechanism | High Impact/High Risk |
| Institution/Organization | The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center |
| Principal Investigator/Program Director | Elizabeth Shpall |
| Cancer Sites | Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Sites, Myeloma |
| Contracted Amount | $200,000 |
| Lay Summary |
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) is the therapy of choice for selected patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies. However a significant proportion of patients – especially non-caucasian patients - are unable to find a bone marrow donor for this potentially lifesaving treatment. Umbilical cord blood (CB) has emerged as an important source of hematopoietic support in SCT patients lacking human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched donors. CB can be procured quickly, requires less stringent HLA matching when compared to unrelated bone marrow, and is associated with durable engraftment and a low incidence of severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The immunological rol... |