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Developing Cancer Treatments in Space

NASA has awarded the university’s BioServe Space Technologies a three-year grant to study the use of microgravity to grow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The cells, which primarily come from umbilical cord blood or bone marrow, show the potential to treat serious medical conditions including blood cancers that require bone marrow transplants, fatal blood disorders, severe immune diseases and certain autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Collaborating with BioServe on the research are ClinImmune Cell & Gene Therapy at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, the Mayo Clinic and RheumaGen, a company that grew out of research at CU Anschutz.

A Stem Cell Trial for Diabetic Foot Ulcers

A trial underway on the UCHealth at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is exploring whether cords cut after birth can continue to promote life and health – not in infants, but in adults battling a serious complication of diabetes.

The target is diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs): chronic open sores, usually on the soles, that stubbornly resist healing.

Dr. Brian Freed, professor of Medicine-Allergy/Clinical Immunology at CU, designed a trial that included showing that human mesenchymal stem cells promoted diabetic foot ulcer healing in mouse models.